A Snake in the Garden (庭のスネーク)
by Sin Eclair
Summary: Life as a Ninja wasn't easy. The consequences outweighed the benefits and sometimes there was no gray area. [Semi SI-OC] Orochimaru's daughter.
1. A Hatchling in the High Grass

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

A/N: I've been on this site for awhile and always wanted to do an SI, but didn't because...reasons.

* * *

"Death is terrible for anyone. Young or old, good or evil, it's all the same. Death is impartial. There is no especially terrible death. That's why death is so fearsome. Your deeds, your age, your personality, your wealth, your beauty: they are all meaningless in the face of death."

 _-Sunako Kirishiki (Shiki)_

* * *

 **Prologue: A Hatchling in the High Grass**

When you're young, you think you're invincible, somehow immune to all the bad stuff the world dishes out. You get bruised and bent here and there, but it takes an incredible amount of trauma before you really think about how fragile your life truly is.

People are born fickle like that.

You never think death can reach you until it's too late, and when it does you don't expect to be thrown out of this life into the hot angry confusion of birth.

In other words…reincarnation.

Contrary to popular belief, you're not very hyper-vigilant when you're a blind fragile newborn. I try and fail to make sense of what is around me. A part of me would like to think it was God's way of numbing the craziness that I was hurled into and slowly I begin to understand why crying comes so naturally to babies.

Despite having years of experience under my belt, I am unable to communicate with those around me, I have no power over my own body. They move me and I am moved.

Three years pass.

Drowned out in a fog of bowel control and kiddy behaviors as I lived my new life out as Kiyohime, a girl with her head firmly placed in the clouds and an attention span that fit her age group. I floated through awareness, knowing somewhere I was of another mind and body, but as Kiyohime was unable to resist the impulses and idiosyncrasies of a toddler. I was here but she does not see me, does not feel me.

I lost myself.

Sitting on the floor coloring in my favorite picture book, a green crayon was pincered firmly in my grasp. I concentrated seriously on the snake hanging on the tree branch as I drew carefully in between the lines. The room I was in was one where matrons had set out a variety of toys for us to use, which had been haphazardly strewn about the room by careless tots.

We rarely used it except at night time or during rainy day seasons when we weren't allowed outside. Right now I was by myself; I could hear the other orphans laughing from outside and was glad that they were having a good time, even if it was without me.

I focused harder on getting back to my special project, my forked tongue stuck out in determination. ' _Snake-san isn't going to finish himself.'_

When I was all set and done I held the book to the ceiling and grinned proudly at my achievement. It was a pretty snake, green eyes, and white scales. I had chosen not to color in the scales because a white snake was said to bring good luck and fortune, at least according to the books I liked to read. Who couldn't use a little more luck here and there?

Snakes are misunderstood creatures. Sure, they seemed icky and scary, but inside I bet they were all warm and cuddly.

I began to stand up and stretch my rough limbs, hoping to grab some leftover mochi in the fridge downstairs before anyone else could beat me to it. Before I could leave, the door to the playroom flew wide open and a disheveled boy ran in breathing heavily. He was caked in a veritable rainbow of color, covering his hair and clothes from top to bottom. There were flakes of orange in his already bright yellow hair, and streaks of green over his eyes as if someone had run their hand down his face. He closed the door firmly behind him and pressed his back against it, all while giggling.

"Ha! I sure showed them!" He laughed giddily. I stood there dumbly and watched the boy, examining him more closely. He was an orphan, but not one I paid all that much attention to because he wasn't really one of us. We never invited him to play with the rest of us kids because he was always causing trouble for the nice matron at the home. They told us he was a very bad boy and a troublemaker and to stay away from him and I listened wholeheartedly.

No use in doing that now. I put my guard up when he turned to my direction, jaw down having just noticed me. "What are you doing here?!" He pointed accusingly.

I scowled. What a meanie! I was here first! "What are you doing?!" I shot back with my eyebrows furrowed. He flinched, but I continued. "You better not be making trouble for Keiri-san and Kanpu-san again." Those two were the nicest of the caretakers, always bringing us candy and sweets and they shouldn't have to deal with all the messes that he made.

He looked nervous and I took it as a sure sign of victory.

"Why do you care?"

I frowned, unsure if I was showing too much interest in him. "Because all you ever do is make things difficult for them!" I put one hand on my side, using the other to scold him viciously. "You're a delinquent and a bad boy!" I said childishly.

The boy glared and puffed his chest. "Well, you look weird." He said, but I brushed it off.

I knew I wasn't the most normal looking of my peers. With pale skin, slitted golden eyes and fang-like teeth, I was far from cute and perfect. However, this wasn't the first time someone's commented on my outlandish appearance and I've learned to ignore it and move on. At least, I tried to. Subconsciously I twisted the straight black locks that framed my face and growled.

Even so, I wasn't going to take his insults sitting down.

"Coming from a baby who drew stupid cat whiskers on his face." I bit back.

"They're birthmarks!" He defended fiercely.

I held back some mirth, smothering it with my hand. "So you're telling me you were born that way!"

He blushed and was starting to turn red. He was adorably cute when he was upset even if he was still annoying. His bright yellow hair and baby blue eyes were something that stood out in the dullness of our home. That didn't change that he was a troublemaker at heart.

Said blond haired boy was now shooting me a hate-filled gaze and I kindly returned it, no longer wanting to give him any polite consideration.

"Shut it, Teme!"

"Right back at you, Dobe!"

Imaginary sparks flew between us and I momentarily had enough sense in me to turn my head away from the annoying boy. His behavior was a disease, one I didn't want to catch.

"You're bothering me." I shooed. "Go away."

Poor choice of words. He looked so crestfallen that for a second I regretted making him act like a kicked puppy. I didn't have to care about him at all but part of me wanted to. I shook away the thought. He was nothing but a bother and he chose to be that way. Right? Before I managed the nerve to air my grievances he had already entered my personal space and pushed me to the floor.

I sat there wide-eyed, not from being sprawled to the ground, but from the sheer shock that he was the one responsible. He cautiously took a step back, probably thinking I would start bawling. When I didn't, he had enough nerve to start spurting nonsense at me that I mostly tuned out.

"You think you're such hot stuff! You'll see! Someday I'm going to be really important and you're going to regret ever being mean to me!" He shouted dramatically. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Remember it, ttebayo!"

I frowned in confusion. "Fish Cake?" I said lamely. What a tasty, but stupid name. He was most definitely a weirdo.

Fish Cake shrieked in what had to be the best impression of a feral cat I'd ever seen. Without another word he ran out the room leaving me completely baffled. The boy was crazy. It was obvious he was some attention seeking hog who said and did foolish things for recognition. I was probably better off keeping away and ignoring him.

Still, something about him was off. "Uzumaki Naruto." I murmured, letting the name linger on my tongue for a few seconds longer. For some reason, that name pulled at something in my head and it was starting to get disorienting.

I sucked in a breath as suddenly years of repressed memories came flooding back to me, spilling through my head like a dam breaking under the weight.

I had died.

I had been reborn.

I had been reborn as a character in an anime.

I was in an anime, in Naruto's world.

In the Village of Konohagakure.

All pretense of being a normal child slid away and I said the only thing my mind could process.

"Fuck."

* * *

 **Kiyohime (清姫)-** Is derived from a Japanese Folklore. As the story goes Kiyohime was the daughter of a village headman or landlord named Shōji, on the Hidaka riverbank. The family was wealthy enough to entertain and provide lodging for traveling priests. While swimming in the torrent of the Hidaka River, she is said to have transformed into a large serpent. [source: Wikipedia]

 ***Mochi -** A short-grained, sweet, glutinous rice with a high starch content, used in Japanese cooking. [source: Wikipedia]

 **Aesthetic changes/Additional edits by CherryBerry12** : March 12th, 2018

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

A/N: Ever notice how SI's try to make the Narutoverse bright as a rainbow, save lives, and be oh, so wonderful? Yeah, this isn't going to be one of those stories...

So, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~


	2. It Was a Series of Questions and Answers

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

A/N: I'm glad to see that there was some support for this story. I'll do my best not to disappoint.

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"Conflict is humanity's primal instinct. Eliminating it would mean eliminating humanity itself. It's futile as an ideal. It's practically a childish joke!"

 _-Kotomine Kirei (Fate/Zero)_

* * *

 **Chapter One: It Was a Series of Questions and Answers**

I was no stranger to the Naruto series. I had been an avid anime enthusiast for most of my previous life, so it would've been hard to avoid. Regardless, thirsting over the awesomeness of Hatake Kakashi and the badassery that was Jiraiya wouldn't fix the cluster fuck that I was in. Though at the very least I had a few things I could look forward to.

Regardless, I was perfectly content with sitting back and letting the protagonist handle the bulk of the dirty work. It wasn't any of my business if a madman wanted to turn everyone into plants, just so he could see his dead crush. At least, as long as I wasn't a plant. I didn't want to get involved, but more importantly, I didn't want to get hurt.

This world was a scary place and more often than not you survived by being the first to kill. That left a major fork in the road: deciding whether or not I'd choose the path of a ninja.

I wanted to live, and I was in no rush to die again.

Being a civilian meant safety in my daily life, but at the cost of being defenseless when a horde of wolves came your way. And believe you me, they would. I'd be wholly reliant on shinobi to protect me no matter what I did.

People like Orochimaru, Danzo, Obito, Madara… so many powerful threats were still out there somewhere and I was one person in a village bound to live through multiple invasions in the coming years. With Naruto as a toddler, the best ass-kicking would still be years in the future.

That left the road of a ninja wide open.

Being a ninja meant defending the village at the cost of your own life. My life. I didn't plan on dying, not for this place, not for Konoha. I wasn't exactly against the Leaf Village in principle, although their moral ambiguity was certainly a concern of mine. This place just wasn't my home and I held no sentimental attachments to it.

What I cared about was survival. I refused to die a stupid death for the ambitions of morons and psychopaths.

So I had to train, get stronger, to surpass even S-rank fighters. Beside the stark ethnic difference and bleached skin, the most noticeable change to my body was more of a feeling than any superficial trait. I was more nimble and in control of my muscles than I ever thought possible for someone of my age; my chakra flow allowed me to be in the type of shape I could never imagine being on Earth. My physical body wasn't loose and flabby as a child's tended to be. The realization was more terrifying than thrilling.

It held an implicit warning, my intended destiny as a soldier, a tool that would be used to commit unspeakable horrors. To maim, rip, and butcher foes who went against the village, without question, and without regret.

I didn't want to kill. At the same time, I didn't want to be killed. Begrudgingly the latter was a more pressing concern of mine. If I was going to do this I'd have to do it right. I needed to grow and get better, fast. The work would be exhausting and strenuous. Compared to my leisurely upbringing as an orphan I would need to work harder as a shinobi without a clan background.

There was something else…

I needed to avoid someone. Namely one Uzumaki Naruto.

That in and of itself wouldn't be too much of a problem since he loathed me with every fiber of his being.

Which was fine; I didn't want to be friends anyway. As a matter of fact, I'd prefer some distance between us, then I wouldn't interfere too much with the plot I knew. The plot needed to look somewhat recognizable, preferably one that left a lot more people alive than dead. This would make it easier for me to predict what was coming next; I'd have the luxury of knowing what to avoid and when.

Naruto was the savior of the world, a hero. I was a nobody, a selfish despicable human being. I certainly had no reason to try to stand in his way, but my interference would only cause more problems for myself.

* * *

One year later

* * *

"Ah, Kiyohime, could help you set the table?" Kanpu requested kindheartedly as he draped the last banner across the dining area's walls.

I gave the old caretaker a polite smile as I ran to the pantry and pulled out the nice tablecloths we used whenever the orphanage had visitors.

"Are you excited about today?" Kanpu said, climbing down the steps of the ladder carefully.

I hummed. It was a very special day for the orphanage. The Hokage had taken time out of his busy schedule to see the neglected children of his village so he could talk to us about our career options. Which mostly meant pushing more of us to go the Academy to be molded into human weapons, but we certainly would not be the first down that path. On the other hand, I suspected he was also using this as a cover to check up on his successor's child.

I drew my eyebrows together as if pondering the question, before ultimately shrugging. "Not really."

"Oh?" The answer peaked the man's interest as he pulled out a chair to rest his old bones, "Any particular reasons?"

Many, but first and foremost the man was simply too good for his job. Allowing his own personal feelings to interfere with his decisions ultimately would cause more trouble than whatever hardline he might have taken otherwise.

"He's not really a great leader. He's too soft." I answered bluntly, figuring that honesty was the best policy. And besides, who wouldn't expect a little polite cynicism from an orphan?

"Is that so?" Kanpu rubbed his bottom chin. "Isn't a caring person what most people look for in a leader?

"Not if they allow it to blind them." That was the problem with this world, they ignored their own problems while gleefully tearing apart their opponent's faults.

Lives decimated, families destroyed, lands laid to cinders.

I hated it.

I hated a system that valued the good name of a village more than the people who lived in it.

Kanpu frowned. "I see." Kanpu had long since given up trying to decipher my way of thinking and it made me love him even more for trying to understand me, even if he hadn't quite gotten there just yet.

I smoothed out the last creases from the cloth and went about setting down the ornamental flowers and scented candles we prepared for the occasion.

Since regaining my memories, I struggled to keep the demeanor of a child, trying to appear as simple and innocent as I could manage, while still struggling to stay authentic. Though, lately, it's become more and more of a struggle to keep the charade going. Times like this I found myself slipping up and showing my true colors.

"Like or not he is the village's leader." Kanpu continued. "Even if you disagree with how he does his job, it is best if you keep that in mind. Especially when he is here as our guest."

I shrugged noncommittally. If it was anyone else it would have been considered scandalous or outright treason to speak ill of a Kage. A child could be forgiven this to a degree, but it was best not to push it. A Kage was supposed to be the role model and distinguished ruler who was adored by his people. It was a systematic brainwashing that never left you questioning why you were following orders to die in a useless war.

Kanpu understood as much, he was one of the few who did. A part of me assumed that he'd been around long enough to ascertain what being a citizen under a military dictatorship truly meant. Raising the children of dead ninja so they too can run to their deaths was a sobering experience, I'd bet.

I soon found myself getting ready for our glorious leader, slipping into a loose-fitting white kimono with black trimmings and overlong sleeves, tied by a purple stash. I'd just finished shaping one of the white ribbon threads Kanpu had given me into a butterfly when I heard the commotion downstairs.

The Hokage had arrived and was getting swamped by a horde of eager kids, keen on drawing his attention.

Sarutobi Hiruzen in person was not too unlike how he was portrayed in fiction. A kind, caring grandfather figure who appeared to find value in all of Konoha's budding youths. He listened to every child patiently, never failing to mention the will of fire that each one of us embodied in our hearts.

I rolled my eyes at the cheesy mantra. The fundamental concept of one's loyalty to the village instead of the people was something that I could never get around.

I dipped out not too long after, having slipped away discreetly as Naruto came onto the scene and, in true form, stole the show away by boasting about how he would be an amazing ninja known all around the world one day. The Sandaime was amused. It was stunning how much energy one little boy's body could contain.

I decided to not even try to speak with the Hokage. It was very unlikely he would notice one girl out of dozens. Instead, I swiftly snuck out the back exit before anyone could catch me and vanished into the tree line that surrounded the children's home.

Here I was free from prying eyes. I navigated through a contingent of trees and leaves to get to my usual training spot around a minor stream. This wasn't my usual route, but I knew the woods well enough to find my way there.

For the past year, it had been the go-to place to practice basic chakra manipulation. I found that a steady flow of water was the perfect place to start if you wanted to avoid a needless dip.

The wind was blowing softly which made the summer day more bearable. I soon found myself in the middle of a dense field that overlooked a flowing river. I blinked a few times, seeing something in the distance.

It was the distinguished outlines of two people, one big, one small. I quietly crouched down behind a tree to assess the situation. They were Konoha ninja, either jounin or chuunin from the looks of the flat jackets they had on. It seemed to be more like a spar, than a battle to the death, yet they were both wielding real swords. I scooted closer to get a better look.

They were good. Really good. Both so fast I could barely keep up with their movements. I stared wide-eyed as they vanished and reappeared in bursts of speed invisible to the naked eye.

I'd be invincible if I could move that fast.

I stepped closer to try to commit those awesome move sets to memory, only to step on a dry leaf that crunched beneath the soles of my feet.

The two stopped their duel and glared in my direction. I froze stiff.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" The man demanded with a cough and I cursed.

Super hearing?! Of course, ninja have super hearing!

Taking a subtle breath, I stepped out into the open, making myself appear as intimidating as a fawn to a pack of hungry wolves.

"H-hello," I said meekly. Looking anywhere but up. It was best if they were to lead to believe they were dealing with a scared kid than a possible infiltrator or spy. "I didn't mean to startle you."

The two were obviously taken off guard. As I got closer, I could see they were actually quite young, possibly even teenagers still. The man had short brown hair, dark-colored eyes, and dark bags that made it look as if he didn't sleep much. The woman looked less close to death, but her purple hair and solid brown eyes still seemed unusual to me, though it certainly didn't stand out here.

The two exchanged glances before the women knelt down to my level and gave me a soft smile. "What are you doing out here sweetie?" She said it kindly enough, but there was still a slight edge to it.

Ninja were paranoid. This was a world where being young only made you less of a threat.

"Umm…This is where I usually come to train."

"So you're a ninja." The man responded, tightening his grip on the katana.

I shook my head fiercely. I liked my head attached thank you very much. "I was training. I'm going to be entering the Academy this year."

"Aren't you a bit too young to be training by yourself? Where are your parents?" The man asked with another cough. How could he be so sick when the weather was so warm?

"I-I don't have a mommy and daddy. I'm all alone." I looked away as if I would start crying over my fake dead parents any moment.

The man stumbled at the response and fierce gaze of his partner.

"Smooth. How about we start over, yeah? What's your name?" The woman asked gently. It was clear she was trying to mediate the situation.

I gave a few more sniffs before answering. "Kiyohime."

"That's a beautiful name." The woman grinned. "I'm sorry about my friend over there, he's just socially inept and sometimes says stupid things to cover for it."

The man glared and I giggled as she returned it with a mocking smirk.

After wiping my face and nose, I defaulted to a pouty mood. "That's no excuse for being rude." I huffed, full of childish indignation. "I demand an apology."

The woman cupped her hands to hide the laughter as her companion sighed.

His teeth clenched as he spit out the words out as if they were poison. "I'm sor-"

"Bow."

"…What." The man gawked.

He must have misheard me. "You offended the princess so you have to bow and beg for forgiveness, now kneel." I held out my hand for him to kiss to complete the image.

"This is insane!" He coughed again. "I'm not going to-!"

"I'll cry again." I threatened.

He frowned. "You wouldn't."

I batted my lashes "Try me."

He contemplated calling my bluff before finally accepting this as the easiest way out of an embarrassing situation. He was getting into a pissing contest with a four-year-old. How pathetic could you get?

He got onto his hands and knees and placed his head into the dirt. I relished it wholeheartedly. "I'm sorry for my behavior, will you please accept my apology?" He drawled. He looked absolutely dead inside.

I nodded, my ego pleased. I couldn't just let him go off spouting this nonsense to other children. It wouldn't be right. Consider this a good learning experience.

By this point, I had come to the conclusion that I wasn't going to get any training done today and would be better off finding somewhere more secluded. When I turned to leave my two shadows trailed. I stopped, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you following me?"

"Demon brat or no, we can't just let a kid wander around the woods by herself." The man said, looking annoyed by his obligation.

"Where do you live, Kiyohime?" The woman chimed in.

I scoffed. I didn't need any escorts, but at the same time, I doubted I could lose them even if I wanted to.

"My caretakers warned me to never to talk to strangers." I said innocently, ignoring the conversation I had just had with them.

"We wouldn't be strangers if we became friends." The woman retorted.

The man chortled, giving off a vague 'what the fuck are you doing' glance at his compatriot who may or may not have jammed her heel into his foot.

"I'm Uzuki Yugao and this lovable guy over here is Gekko Hayate, please to make your acquaintance Hime-chan."

I fought the urge to sigh. Of course, why not. I couldn't happen to walk onto two normal strangers who weren't in any shape and form destined to face tragedy. Then again, who could I have met here who wasn't going to eventually face some tragedy?

"Fine. But on one condition." I smiled. "You have to agree to train me."

"You can't be serious." Hayate sneered.

I was dead serious. If I could move and fight like them I'd be more than equipped to face any and all threats that came my way.

"It'll be great! Like you reminded me, I don't have parents who could teach me, and you know all about ninja stuff! Then, when I become a super strong ninja you'll be able to tell everyone about your amazing student and everyone will think you're really cool for helping me out and we can be friends and go on missions together and protect the Leaf Village!" I was babbling like a four-year-old but how could they possibly resist me now? I could speak their propaganda just as well as they could.

"Okay, okay, I'm sold." Yugao chirped with a laugh.

Hayate's jaw dropped as I led them past the brush trees, but Yugao gave him a satisfied smirk, ignoring the argument that was bound to come as we edged along merrily.

Friends, huh?

I beamed brightly.

Feels kinda nice.

* * *

 **Aesthetic changes/Additional edits by CherryBerry12** : March 12th, 2018

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

A/N: Tadah. I wanted to give a taste of the limelight to characters who never really got to shine in the main series.

So, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~


	3. Goals, Reasons and What If's

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

Hiya guys, here's another chapter.

* * *

"Don't you think think it's futile to live in fear of death? I mean, everyone is going to die sometime, so is there any point in pretending not to see it for the present? Or instead, I wonder if they think it doesn't concern them, since they aren't going to die."

 _-White (Kekkai Sensen)_

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Goals, Reasons and What If's**

My hands trembled, sweaty as I signed the affidavit that would seal my enrollment at the Academy. A deal with the devil. The first step in becoming a killer. I focused on the form, reading it thoroughly for any grammar and punctuation errors.

* * *

Konoha Shinobi Admissions form.

Last name: _None_

First name: _Kiyohime_

Mother's maiden name: _None_

Father's name: _None_

Legal Guardian: _Orphanage of Konohagakure._

Clan Status (If any): _None_

Age: _4_

Reason for enrollment, (Pledges, aspirations, goals, etc.)

* * *

I drew a blank at the last question.

My reasons? Goals? Those were entirely selfish, made to save my own skin in the worst situations.

The fear was pungent, but my resolve was set. I needed to do this. I had nothing to prove, no family legacy to uphold. I was nothing, a meaningless spec on the radar, but that didn't mean I would back out now. I needed to be strong in a real way to survive here, not through some meaningful pep talk.

I sighed, slouching against the bark of a moss-covered tree, seeing it as an unwavering form of serenity. The birds chipped sweetly at the high noon sun as the leaves of the tree kept away most of the harsh sun. A fair distance away I could see Hayate and Yugao getting into another bout.

Having since given up trying to tally up their win and loss records, I came to the unanimous conclusion they should just get a room instead of spending so much time on this weird courting ritual.

Not that I'd ever say something so vulgar to two horny teenagers who could wipe me out of existence with no effort.

I close my eyes, taking in the breeze. It's been a month since I met them and in that time they've run me ragged, preparing me for the upcoming classes. A part of me both loved and despised them for it.

I loved that I had learned some of the fundamentals of a ninja and that they'd even shown me the basic kata stances already.

I could probably do without their sadism and ridiculously high standards though. They were both expecting impossible results in very few intervals. Yugao was a flower on the outside, but a voracious Venus fly trap when you entered her maw. Hayate, believe it or not, was the better of the two. He gave me unmanageable pointers, sure, but he probably didn't care enough to be as aggressive as Yugao.

I'll have my revenge. Eventually.

A nudge to the forehead brought me out of my happy place.

Hayate stood over me, his usual stoic demeanor in place. "I didn't like that look on your face." He coughed, retracting the finger he poked me with to cover his mouth.

I stuck my tongue out. "Well, I don't like your ugly mug."

He gave me an unimpressed look, which only fueled the fire.

Luckily, the ever chirpy Yugao plopped down that distinct moment, spreading her arms out, tired and sweaty. "Now, now you two, get along." She reprimanded cheerfully.

I frowned. "He started it." I pointed to the aggressor. "He poked me in the head."

"Because you were scheming something, you little vampire." Hayate deadpanned.

"Does picking on little girls make you feel bigger?" I mocked.

"No." He poked me again. "Just you." He smirked.

I swatted his hand away. "Quit it."

"Make me."

Hayate and I seemed to take every opportunity to argue. It was a great stress reliever and, to be honest, it was sort of entertaining. It pulled me from my depressing funk and gave me someone to lash out at and pour all my pent-up energy on, and Hayate was the perfect scapegoat. He hated my face and I wanted to claw out his. It was the perfect kind of hostility

"Look at you two, the best of friends." Yugao chimed in with a twinkle.

We both gave a blunt "'no" in response to her quip, only to scowl at the other when it was said in conjunction.

It was silly occasions like these that drove it home, how abnormal all of this was. This place was a story written and illustrated by an ordinary guy, but here, now, it was as real as I was. If that meant anything at all.

They were living and breathing people, not blots of ink on scratch paper.

I groaned when I dared peep at the final application question which goaded me with its simplicity.

"Having trouble Hime-chan?" Yugao asked sympathetically.

I blew a breath of hot air. "The last question is a butt," I said, obviously disgruntled. It wasn't the greatest remark, but it fit the situation.

Hayate being Hayate (the world's biggest prick) snatched the sheet and read it over as I resisted the urge to attack him.

"Reasons for joining the academy?" Hayate rose a brow. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is that I don't have a good enough reason to be a ninja," I growled, taking back the form and kicking the big lug in the shins.

Yugao frowned. "You must have something that you strive to become, Hime."

"Being a shinobi isn't a game," Hayate warned as he nursed his lower tendons.

"I know that!" I snapped. Did they think I want to do this for the heck of it? That I wanted to go out and kill because I found it entertaining and fun? I could take this seriously even as a four year old! I ground my nails into my palm irately.

Yugao opened her mouth to speak, but it was Hayate who beat her to the punch. "In that case, you shouldn't be a ninja."

My eyes widened, my mouth went dry.

"Hayate!" Yugao scolded.

"If she's going to kill someone she's at least got to have a reason to!" Hayate refuted, his judgment never wavering. "So tell me Kiyo, what is your nindo?"

"My nindo?" I stared confused.

"It's a personal rule that each shinobi lives by. It's our way of life, our motto, our beliefs, and our dreams. It's what gives us the strength to continue on, to fight even if the odds aren't in our favor." Hayate said, positioning his hands on his hips. "Let me ask you Kiyo, what is a ninja? What is a village and its people?"

I stared dumbfounded.

What does it mean to be a ninja?

 _To lie, murder, and pillage until there is nothing left._

What does it mean to live in a village?

To nurture hate for those lesser villages who stand in the way.

What are the people?

 _Fodder. Mangled corpses to be used and discarded._

"I-I…" I licked my lips. "I don't know…I don't have an answer"

 _Of course you do. They're inhuman monsters who see human life as expendable as a kunai, useful and essential until it rusts._

Hayate sighed, if it was out of disappointment or tiredness, I couldn't tell. "Well until you do you'll always have a handicap. Other students are going to have a reason they're there, and that's what's going to give them strength" His face softened. "But you're a smart brat, you'll figure it out."

I looked down at my shoes.

No, I didn't think I ever would.

And that truly petrified me.

* * *

The entrance to the Hokage's tower was crowded by the time I and few of the orphans arrived to submit our applications. An overworked and exhausted staff member hastily moved the crowd into lines of two, the first one accepting information forms and legal waivers.

Off to the sides they were distributing schedules and the list of book materials to purchase for fervent children and adults who would be milking their expense accounts for their education.

I waited, fidgeting nervously. The line was moving at a steady pace after a fresh batch of chuunin came along to speed up the process and replace their worn colleagues. I looked over the various clans who were meshed in with the civilian population. Akimichi, Hyuga, Aburame, and Inuzuka, and these were just a few. I half hoped to spot one of the rookie nine, if to fill my own curiosity, but no dice.

When it was my turn, the chunin at the desk offered a pleasant, reassuring smile, if not a little choppy from the lack of sleep. "How can I help you today?" He asked, gracefully holding back a yawn.

I gulped, relinquishing a form that was riddled with eraser marks and pencil shavings.

He coolly accepted it, conscientiously reading in between the lines of each form and approving it with a stamp of recognition. "Do you have any questions, any concerns?"

"Is it always this crowded?" I said nervously, fixated on the swarm of people.

The chunin gave a light chuckle. "This is nothing, compared to be previous years."

I blinked. "So is being a ninja that competitive?"

He gave a shrug in response. "Mainly. It depends on who you're talking about really."

"I don't understand."

The man punched a few papers and neatly stacked them together. "Well clan children are given special privileges due to their inherit abilities, so they receive more training and instructions next to civilian bred children."

"I see," I said. Being a member of a clan meant that you're automatically entitled to a unique blood set, hence gain access to your clan's renowned kekkei genkai and secret techniques. Clans were a vital part of any village's stability and progress, which is why it was crucial to maintain close relations with them.

One of the key reasons the Uchiha would eventually fall.

I reflexively grabbed my paperwork and offered a rigid nod to the chuunin as I was pointed to the next area for tuition.

When it came to compensating the Academy, the village was more than happy to cover the expenses if it meant strengthening its armory. This meant I wouldn't have to worry about money for a while. How else would all these orphaned children get anywhere?

I received a list of books that I would need to procure for my troubles, along with a room number that would act as my homeroom for the foreseeable future.

Guess there was no turning back now, huh?

A hand landed on my shoulder. It was Kanpu, giving me a reassuring smile. "For what it's worth I think you're making the right decision."

"I thought you were against the whole death by idiocy," I said drily.

"Only if the ones involved don't know they're being idiots." He joked.

My lips splintered into a grin as we waited off to the sides for the others to finish.

"It's going to be hard." I whispered.

"You'll pull through." He said, confidently.

"It's going to be a long journey."

"Then you better pack light."

"I might die," I said morbidly.

"You won't."

I turned to him. "How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not, but call it an old man's intuition." He smiled. "You'll do great."

I took comfort in that fact, it helped lessen the ache of watching children sign their own death warrants.

* * *

 **Aesthetic changes/Additional edits by CherryBerry12** : March 12th, 2018

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

A/N: Seeing you guys happy makes me happy.

So, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~


	4. Of Love and Loneliness

Yes! A new chapter!

I really do plan on making these things longer, I swear!

Thank you all for those awesome reviews and the support this story has gotten so far. I'll do my best not to disappoint!

Now onward!

* * *

"People can have lovers. They can have friends. They can be together. But when you think about it, you'll see that originally, we're alone."

 _~Osaki Nana (NANA)_

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Of Love and Loneliness**

A chill ran through the air and sent goosebumps up my spine. The clouds overhead blocked out the sun. We were standing in a field of tombstones. There were so many; hundreds, thousands, maybe. Too many to count, some newer than most.

Hayate was next to me. He'd brought me here to see how heroes were rewarded. There was a reason why so few ninja were seen reaping the benefits of their duties, why the council and clan heads aged into their wrinkles as the rest were rotting away in graves.

The old declared war and it was the young who made the gamble.

A ninja lived long enough to see that their mission was fulfilled, they pursued it until the final breath left their corpse. It was seen as honorable, as if honor meant anything to the countless atrocities the ninja system had caused.

This was the evidence. A graveyard of pain, of lives and memories that were spent towards a peace that would never come. These stories, the tales of the forgotten, meant nothing in the face of death.

"Why did they do it?" I whispered, touching the engravings. "Why did they give their lives? Their hopes, their dreams, everything that they were just for a cluster of huts?"

Hayate cleared his throat, expression blank. "Well, when someone passes away it's the end. Their past and future, all the dreams they once had disappear along with them. This is true even if they die honorably in battle." He took a breath. "All the ties that bind him to the living vanish. All but the most important one of them all...people."

"People?" I whispered.

Hayate nodded. "Parents, siblings, friends, lovers, the people who were important to them. The ones left behind are joined together in a great circle by their shared memories of them. A circle of friendship, trust, and sacrifice that grows stronger and larger as time passes."

So we do it because we have to...we have no choice.

Hayate sighed, "It's hard to explain. We remain bound to the circle together. It's important to us. The dead die so that we can live. All of their hopes and aspirations are passed onto to the living so that they too can pass it on to the next generation of shinobi."

"Is that so..." I muttered. It never ended.

Nothing was said as the sky above was swallowed by a fresh layer of asphalt, drenching the world below.

The dead were crying.

And I prayed for the ones who'd follow.

* * *

The strap around my back tightened, as the bag shifted. Today was the beginning of the end so to speak. The first leap forward. In some ways, I was relieved that it had come. The Academy was what it appeared to be, a large building comprised of several smaller ones that acted as both the village's nerve center and administrative office.

A crowd had condensed at the back of the schoolyard and the first-year students were asked to line up in even parts. The Hokage, accompanied by two of his armed jounin, started a speech (again) about the will of fire, and the importance of protecting the village and the people within it. I listened half-heartedly.

We were soon called up one by one to be designated to separate classrooms.

"Aburame Shino."

A boy with dark brim sunglasses and a high collar jacket that obscured most of his face stepped forward.

The list of names continued. On and on. I didn't particularly pay attention as I didn't really care for any of them.

Soon enough, more and more of the infamous rookie nine made their appearances.

"Akimichi Choji."

"Inuzuka Kiba."

"Haruno Sakura."

A timid girl with light pink hair and green eyes stepped up.

Surprisingly, she did have pink hair, but it seemed more normal here, less egregious.

"Hyuga Hinata."

God, those eyes gave me the creeps.

"Kiyohime."

I took my place beside the Byakugan princess, not oblivious to her wariness.

I wasn't that scary. Was I?

The ceremony soon ended with the calling of Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, Yamanaka Ino, and a few other forgettable students I didn't bother remembering. Uzumaki was the last to be brought up and I couldn't help but notice the disdainful edge the announcer put on his name.

I pretended to be blind to the hurt that flashed through young blonde's face, pretended to be deaf to the whispers, and unfeeling to the sadness he exuded as we entered the building, leaving the parents and siblings and loved ones behind.

I did all this and strangely felt nothing…

* * *

Class began as you would expect. We were allowed to take up any seat we wanted and I chose the one farthest from the front with a clear view of the window. I took into account every exit, just to be sure. Who knew what attacks might have occurred before without me knowing?

The teacher, a platinum-haired grouch whose name escaped me, was an obvious veteran of her craft. It was immediately clear she hated her job and, by extension, us. For variety, we were asked to comment on our likes and dislikes, etc., so that we could become better acquainted.

I gave bland answers, commenting on my interest in training and dislike for cold foods. No need to get technical, I wasn't here to make friends.

The lessons were menial and dull, and I caught myself dozing off several times. We began with basic kanji and math for two hours, wrapped up with history, and then had an hour for lunch that also accounted for a break. It was, to be frank, incredibly mundane.

I breezed through the math and kanji lessons straight away, having already learned this all before. For all my love of history, I was heavily disappointed to find out that most of this world's knowledge was restricted or heavily slanted to paint the village in a better light. Battles were vague, and most details were hidden to protect village secrets. Names of the participants and the ninja involved were rarely mentioned.

It's no wonder why in-canon Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura hadn't the slightest clue who Sharingan no Kakashi was. The educational system was a complete mess.

When the break came, I placed my notebook away in my book bag and walked to the rooftop to eat lunch and have some much-needed peace and quiet.

Down under, a group of kids were playing what could amount to tag, kick the can, or a combination of the two.

Everyone seemed to be in a fair mood... Well, almost everyone.

Naruto was alone, swinging back and forth on a tree swing looking longingly at the group.

Of course, parents would have warned their children well in advance to stay away from the Kyuubi container, even if those kids didn't necessarily know why. It was human nature to fear what couldn't be understood.

If they could not harm the demon that ravished their homes and killed their loved ones, then why not take revenge on the body left behind, to isolate it from the regular populace, pretend that it didn't even exist?

It was all completely understandable. If I'd lost someone I deeply cared about, I'd want someone to pay, to make penance. But Uzumaki wasn't the demon they feared, he was a nuisance, but harmless. The perfect scapegoat.

I frowned. The Yondaime was naive to put his faith in this place. To sacrifice his life and the lives of his wife and child was unforgivable.

And what was his reward?

His son was viewed as a reprehensible beast.

The Red Hot Habanero snuffed out like a candle.

An eternity of torment within the belly of the grim reaper.

What a fool...

The bell rang, and the break ended as we resumed where we left off.

* * *

I hastily decided within the next ten minutes that I hated being a Kunoichi.

"Kunoichi have a special role to play. They must not only learn ninjutsu, but also a wide range of knowledge and a sense of refinement as women. If you can't blend into enemy territory by adopting the customs of the women there, then you'll never be able to succeed as a spy. In any event, today's lesson will revolve around flower arranging." Suzume-sensei pressed the class.

The woman, chuunin by the looks of it, was mostly unremarkable with long, curly black hair and oval glasses who obviously focused more on cosmetics than honing her skills.

This is so stupid.

When the girls in our class were given a kunoichi class instead of a free period like the boys, I was upset.

Us girls are apparently better off prancing into some flower patch, as if that had anything to do with espionage and surveillance skills.

On a positive note we were working with plants, some of them toxic. I'd hope to find some potent ones that could be mixed into an elixir or a tasteless poison.

Ushered into the open meadow, we were given leeway for the duration of the period. I isolated myself from the group and began searching around on my own for some of the few common plants I've read about.

I began to choose a few that were excellent for skin care and herbal remedies and pocketed the rest which could be used to cause nausea and vomiting if ingested properly.

A chain of girlish squeals had me turning around to see a trio of girls, one of which a purple haired girl I was only slightly certain was in my class, frantically spit out a few bud strains.

"That rotten Ino! I'll get her for this for sure!" Purple hair shouted, receiving curt agreements from the other two girls, one with spiky hair and the other with her hair in the style of an afro.

I raised my eyebrow at the scene and incidentally caught the glare of the ringleader of the group.

"What are you looking at, weirdo?!" She insulted rudely, scowling at me with her arms crossed, as though witnessing her stupidity was a crime.

I tried to ignore her, but oh how one forgets how children fare when ignored.

She came up right up to me with her entourage, jabbing a finger to my face. I wasn't impressed.

"Didn't you hear me?!" She growled childishly, and I stared back blankly.

Taking a breath and counting to three I flashed a smile. "Yes?" I asked, as sweet as I could manage.

She fumbled for a second before grabbing her wits. "I...err...you-!" I stopped her there, I'd prefer it if I didn't have to deal with a bully for the remainder of my stay here.

"Wow! You're so pretty and your hair is so beautiful~" I exclaimed with the fakest beam I could muster. "I'm Kiyohime! Want to be friends?"

The girl stopped short, her face crestfallen and flushed into a tinted red, and flustered, "Ah, umm...thank you and sure we could be friends. I'm Ami by the way." She choked the last part out bashfully, holding out her hand.

Her friends exchanged confused glances at each other. I wonder if it was okay to be this gratified when I was teasing children and using reverse psychology to manipulate friendship from them.

I shrugged. Whatever. They started it and besides, wasn't it better to kill thy enemy with kindness rather than bludgeoning it from them?

I glanced at the flowers, then to the purple haired girl. Ami, wasn't it? I smirked.

"Hey Ami-chan. There are some really cute flowers in that field over there, they'd go great for your arrangement!" I chirped, cheerfully pointing my new friends in a different direction.

Ami nodded hesitantly before marching off with her minions in tow. She was so confused on how the tables had turned. There really was something great about pulling someone's strings, especially a rambunctious girl with a mean streak.

Maybe those poison ivy plants will smooth her out.

 _'Hmm, perhaps I should pick some out for Hayate?'_

My smile grew even more vicious.

* * *

After class ended, I made my way out of the school where parents and siblings were coming to meet their students. Their obvious care for them was touching and it left an uncomfortable tug at my heart. Because deep down, I envied them for it; it made me miss my real family. My parents, siblings, friends, home, life and the normalcy all those aspects held that I took for granted.

Now it was all gone, probably lost forever.

There was no one here to greet me, to love me, to tell me that everything would turn out for the best when I really needed it.

Hayate and Yugao were perhaps the only ones who treated me as if I was an actual person, rather than some no-name orphan.

Right now those two were probably somewhere between Kusa and Ame, off getting themselves into trouble covering another team on a mission, leaving me with a list of stretches, physical routines, and love and kisses on Yugao's part, with an apology for not seeing me off on my first day.

I sighed. It couldn't be helped. I was an adult, I didn't need coddling or anyone's sympathies. I was fine on my own. I didn't need anyone.

Ignoring those feelings, I made my way through the crowd and down the dirt road alone, never once looking back.

* * *

 **Aesthetic changes/Additional edits by CherryBerry12** : March 12th, 2018

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

I promise I'll start answering every review that comes my way!

So, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~


	5. When Errors are Made

I had to put my thinking cap on for this one.

No, but seriously, you guys are too great! I'm speechless. I'm so pumped now, I can write for days now!

But, without further ado, enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

"I believe that talent, first and foremost, is the ability to take a chance and to be calm enough to learn from mistakes."

 _-Sugie Shigeru (Shirobako)_

* * *

 **Chapter Four: When Errors are Made**

After a couple weeks slowly came and went without any noteworthy incidents, I somehow began to grow bored despite being taught, in theory, by elite killers.

Since there were no classes on Saturday morning, I decided to go to the local library to receive a proper taste of what shinobi life had to offer, both perks and drawbacks.

I set out earlier than I would have for school, just in case I came across something that kept my attention. After completing a few easy laps around one of the more rugged training ground areas, I walked into the library, a smaller and older structure open to the public.

Most of the scrolls and books were age restricted and categorized so that they could only be taken out by those mature enough to manage their contents, although this was only really a problem with books about technique. Since I wasn't of age, I was forced to browse through the children's section, passing through dumbed-down versions of what I really wanted. What did catch my eye was something that's been pecking at the back of my head for some time now-a book about Chakra.

It's what separated my world from this one, and it gave the average person here an edge over those possessing tools or crafted weapons. Basically, as long as you had it, you were already a step ahead.

I picked out the first set of the scrolls and picked out a few other titles and short memoirs written by past shinobi and scholars, along with a few subtexts that briefly scoped out the layout of the continent and gave me a general insight into its turbulent history. Easily a day's work.

I chose three in particular that delved into my curiosity- _The Cultural, Social, and Political History of the Warring States Period_ , _A Collective Change: The Founding of The Villages System_ , and _The Ramifications of the Shinobi Wars_.

I started with the last one, cozening up to a plush cushion at the corner reserved for minors and tried to read in-between the lines of each tale, following the destruction and degeneracy committed by clans and villages, each passage knotting my stomach further, each one filling me with dread.

This era of unrest was said to have come to an end when the Senju and Uchiha clans brushed past their shared hatred for the other and joined sides, leading the way for other clans to follow.

Or until the Senju decided to place themselves on top of the totem pole.

The next book captured the aftermath of this progressive change. Konoha was established under the leadership of the Hokage, who in turn served under the authority of the Land of Fire's Daimyo and his court. We provided soldiers and defense to the whole country in exchange for funding and the contracts that flowed through.

This system spread like wildfire and others lands soon imitated the process.

The Land of Earth's Iwagakure and its _Tsuchikage._

The Land of Lightning's Kumogakure and its _Raikage._

The Land of Water's Kirigakure and its _Mizukage_.

The Land of Wind's Sunagakure and its _Kazekage._

And many other minor villages, as well as their respective Kage.

I frowned. Maybe Madara wasn't going senile by attacking the village with a giant fox. After all, all this system really did was unite all the feuding clans of one land and turn them against any others, thus creating a new cycle of hatred.

And if the next book was anything to go by, the wars that came after were evidence enough. At our cores we are still foolish minded beasts who give way to our basic instincts to create the illusion of safety and security.

Pragmatism and rationalism are not the only things that drive human actions.

And yet we remain slaves to this logic because no matter what social constructs we create for ourselves, we continue to wage war and die for some convolution of peace and justice.

I shut the cover of the book and returned the first stacks to their proper shelves, choosing to check out the Chakra scrolls.

Walking out the door with both scrolls in my grasp, I sighed.

Humans are such foolish creatures.

* * *

"Kiyohime-chan! Are you paying attention?!"

I scowled at the paper in front in me as the exasperated voice made me ruin a perfectly cute rendering of Bugs Bunny, which I neatly drew.

I sighed as I scribbled away the remains of the doodle and blew away the shavings. I glanced up at the teacher who was beginning to glare daggers at me and I boldly glared back.

"What?" I asked, my tone laced with boredom and rudeness. Not caring to show an ounce of respect.

My eyes wavered to the clock. What time did this class end again?

My homeroom teacher, whose name continued to evade me, was not charmed by my blunt response. Not that her opinion mattered in the long run, she was another stepping stone for someone to walk on. Mainly me.

"Alright, since you find my lectures so tedious, surely you wouldn't mind explaining to the class the ranking system?" She crossed her arms as all eyes turned towards me.

I leaned on my elbows lazily. "Troublesome." I grumbled to myself, peering over to the chalkboard before smirking.

"Well?"

"Well… There are five official rankings for a mission. D, C, B, A, with S-rank being tasked to the best of the best. Each mission is handed down by a villages Kage and is paid by the behest of clients seeking a village's aid for a variety of business. Depending on the important nature of the mission in let's say in a war, those conditions may very well change."

I continued, keeping an outer appearance of intellect, while savoring my teacher's disappointed face. "D-ranks are usually handed down to the genin fresh from the academy and consist of doing work for ordinary civilians like farming and babysitting. C-ranks are given to more experienced genin or chuunin where there is little to no chance of combat. Examples being, guarding a client from bandits, background investigations, or suppressing a wild animal." I held back a yawn.

"B, A and S-ranks can be taken by either experienced chuunin, jounin, or Anbu and depending on the circumstances each of these mission's parameters can change at any second. Either from a client's deceit, an escalation of the broad assignment, or the emergence of a third party." I shrugged. "However, the reward offsets the danger and payment can extend from fifty thousand to almost a million depending on the risks involved."

Unfortunately, most of it went to the village's economy and structure. So it was essential that each mission went without a hitch or you risked your clientele outsourcing their business to different nations. Sometimes your very worst enemies. I hear Suna was having that very same problem with their Daimyo and was just barely holding onto its already unstable economy.

The room grew to an uncomfortable level of silence. Some were whispering and sending me an odd array of confused glances. I dismissed them all.

Eat it up puppies. This is what life has in store for you. Deal with it.

After a long pause, the teacher tore her eyes away and nodded reluctantly before continuing the lesson.

It wasn't long before I grew bored and fell asleep.

The teacher didn't call on me for the rest of the day.

* * *

After going overboard, aimlessly reading scrolls on the components of Chakra and its collective energies, I think I finally had it down.

Slicing it up into two main categories.

Physical energy derived from the body's cells and could be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise.

In contrast, spiritual energy derived from the mind's consciousness and could be increased through studying, meditation, and experience.

In a way Chakra was alive-or that's what I'd like to think. Chakra has become a form of life energy that all individuals produce to some degree; those who run out of Chakra will die. On the other hand, Chakra was energy. Energy you could control to do basically anything. So putting it lightly, Chakra was power.

Thus, Chakra was the key. Cut that off and what did you have but an ordinary man in a stupid vest?

I hummed, flexing my toes and sipping on some tea that I had brewed in the kitchen of the apartment I was temporarily borrowing while the owner was out of town.

Hayate-kun was such a sucker. Leaving the key under his front mattress was a lazy move for such a stealthy ninja.

Through I guess I should thank him. This was a home from home, a place to crash that didn't involve tolerating the outdoors.

I sat on his three-seater couch in front of a TV. Clearly Yugao had been here on more than one occasion. Her fragrance lingered around this place.

"Kids will be kids." I mumbled.

I took another sip, getting back on track.

I played with the idea of finding the right method to effectively strip a person's ability to mold Chakra, if such a thing was even possible. Clearly it would need some polishing, but in theory it should work.

Remove a ninja's source of power and they were completely at your mercy.

But the question was how?

A seal? Perhaps if I got into fuinjutsu it wouldn't be too difficult to come up with a seal that would temporarily relieve a person of their Chakra capabilities, but that was assuming that there'd be someone to teach me the dying art in the first place.

Few practiced sealing techniques mainly because they took years to master and weren't as flashy as the other arts.

Ah. But that's where they were mistaken. True, there were no major perquisites for learning a technique normally used to suppress, but it could do a lot more than that. You could completely immobilize a target or object and changing its very properties and form with just a stroke of a brush.

It was a unique skill, one that I wanted. A privilege given to those belonging to noble families and clans.

In other words, not for potential fodder.

I puffed my cheek in frustration. Anyone who could or would teach me was either dead, out of the village, a missing-nin, or on my shit list.

So that put a pin on that idea for the meantime.

I yawned. Man, what I wouldn't do for a mug of coffee. I got up and dumped the rest of my drink into the sink, rinsing the cup out and letting it soak.

There were other avenues I could try. Poison was unpredictable. In large doses it could be lethal, in small droplets it could severely weaken an enemy, disorienting them and making their movements sloppy and predictable.

Plants were a good option for being able to create them myself to my own preferences. It was a nice alternative and easy to mass produce if you knew what to look for. It would have to do.

I cleaned after my mess before rummaging through a few drawers to find a few spare kunai lying around and left the small flat somewhat as tidy as when I first arrived. Locking the door behind me then placing the key back into its obvious hiding spot, I went on my way.

As much as I hated to admit it, I needed a few guinea pigs to test out what I was about to do.

I deliberated for a moment before sighing in defeat. Walking outside into this cesspool of a village and quickly heading towards the outskirts, I began to put a plan together.

* * *

"You look dead." A voice coughed,

I sighed tiredly. Stopping in my pursuit to carve up a nicely shaped apple in exchange for striking a stink face. "Says the guy lying in a hospital." I bit back.

Hayate flinched. "Touche." He groaned. Leaning further into the uncomfortable bedspread, he turned just so I could see his face and head decorated with new switches and fresh bandages.

I couldn't say I was any better, though Hayate's pain was a nice icing on the cake. I was exhausted. For the past week I've been keeping myself busy, layering the forest with traps and strains of poisonous bait hoping to see some results or at the very least capture a lab rat.

No luck so far.

"I can't believe you let some missing-nin beat you up." I mocked, continuing to slice the apple, while sitting at the foot of his bed cross-legged. He disapproved, but I wasn't going to start caring about his feelings now. "How pathetic."

"Oi! It was a cheap shot!" He challenged.

I snickered. "Sure."

"Whatever. He's dead and I'm not. So ha!"

I rolled my eyes. "So how long are you going to be stuck in this dump?" A passing nurse sent me a glare.

Hayate shrugged. "It's not that bad."

"I've seen the food here and the mattress feels as if it's as hard as a bag of rocks." I pointed out blandly.

He looked as if he was going to cry. "I know."

I raised a brow. "So why are you still here?"

He gave me a flat look. "Because Yugao would skew me if I stepped one foot out of this place."

"Mm, young love."

He blushed and tried to change the subject. "Anyways how's the academy treating you? Make any new friends?"

I stopped my peeling. "It's coming along."

Hayate frowned giving me a parental scold that made me want to hide in a corner. "That's not what I asked."

"I know." I bit my lip. "I'm fine if that's what you're worried about."

"Really? Because it seems as if you're more worn out than usual."

I laughed. "What gave you that impression?"

He smiled. "Well for one thing those bandages on your hands tell me that you've been doing something you weren't supposed to."

"Spoil sport." I moped, because bandages were really hard to put on when you've cut yourself one too many times trying to pull roots out of the ground.

"Want to tell me what's that all about?"

I split the apple into four even squares, "Nope."

"Kiyohime-chan!" He cried.

"Hayate-kun!" I repeated with the same volume of whininess.

He opened his mouth to protest which gave me enough of an opportunity to shove an apple piece down his pipe hole.

He choked and fought for breath before giving me a black leer. In return I gave a patented gleam. "It's handled." I said, chewing on my own apple.

Surveying me for another second, he relented and swallowed.

I giggled and stuck out another piece. "Say ahhh!"

Poor Hayate. Hasn't he ever heard how curiosity killed the cat.

* * *

"This wasn't what I wanted." I said to no one in particular. Feeling squeamish at the futile kicks and grunts of the half dead carcass in front of me.

'An idiot, I was an idiot.'

I ran my hand through my hair in frustrations to the pitiful wails of the dying boar who'd fallen for my trap and ingested a bento box filled with the roots of a variety of poisonous vegetation.

My plan was for it to die quickly after gobbling the first batch but instead it was being eaten from the inside out,

'Add more. A lot more.' I groaned internally, steeling myself to go over there and put the damn thing out of its misery.

Its panic slightly increased when I stood over it, brandishing a shameful appearance.

I breathed a deep breath before pulling out a kunai.

This would be messy.

I pierced the creature in between its eyes, expecting a quick kill that would shatter its skull. Far from it. The kunai did its job, but got stuck halfway through due to my lack of strength and only further extended the beast's torment.

I yanked back hesitantly, the boars cries were turning into a rough reverberation of agony as blood gushed from its head in large sums.

I was afraid to get near it and wanted nothing more than to leave at that moment and never look back.

But I couldn't do that, could I? If I couldn't do this then what chance did I stand as a ninja?

I drew another kunai and counted to ten, before walking closer to the animal gasping for dear life.

"Hey." I said gently. It was losing strength, it was in so much pain, it wouldn't last long. "I'm sorry about that. I'm a novice so you're going to have to forgive me. But don't worry it'll be over soon."

I raised the knife with a sad smile. "I'll end your suffering."

And I did.

Over.

 _(Sorry)_

And over.

 _(Sorry)_

And over.

 _(I'm so sorry.)_

I did it. It was dead.

My hands were bloody, and I'd probably have to disinfect them, but the dirty deed was done. I examined the remains of the boar and felt like hurling. It didn't die peacefully or with dignity. Its head was little more than a hollow chunk of meat and fat that looked as if it had gone around the spin cycle of a meat grinder.

I wanted to cry, but I didn't.

I was covered in blood.

"Back to the drawing board."

The forest didn't answer.

* * *

I was not a happy camper. Not only were my plans on a temporary hiatus, but I ended having to explain to Kanpu why I was drenched in blood which led to a whole other awkward conversation that made a bigger mess of things.

So to break it down I was pissed.

So naturally I needed an outlet to vent my frustrations.

Today may have turned out to be my lucky day after all. Sitting on a tree branch, I eagerly watched the events taking place beneath me.

After cleaning up the last of my forest goodies I was drawn here by a loud commotion which surprisingly turned out to involve Uzumaki getting into a fight with three other boys. From the sidelines a teary eyed little Hyuuga girl watched the exchange, since Naruto appeared to be trying to defend her.

"How touching." I cooed.

But as cute as it may have been, Naruto never stood a chance as the three children inevitably ganged up on him and knocked him into unconsciousness.

Some hero.

 _That's why righteous knights and heroes were so overrated._

I got up from my position, hidden by the tree leaves, eyes lighting up like a predator ready to maim its prey.

 _They played fair._

I swooped down from above, pouncing on my first victim and dropping him like a ton of bricks. His friends watched on, stunned by my sudden appearance. But since their buddy was just taken out cold, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

I'm guessing he was their leader.

"H-Hey!" One the boys pointed, finding his voice and giving the best mean face he could muster. It wasn't very flattering. "Who do you think you are?"

"Who am I?" I blinked, cupping both my hands to my face, turning their friend into my personal throne pillow as I laid on top of him. "Isn't it a bit rude to ask a young lady for her name without giving out yours first, Chibi-kun?" I smiled. "Manners, boys!"

"Well I...!" His face turned beet red. "You're going to pay for what you just did!"

"Me?" I said in a mocking confusion. "Whatever did I do?"

"Your sitting on Daichi-kun!"

I looked down and nodded carefully, excitement building. "Uh-huh! He's very comfy."

The other boy glowered. "Come on Taiki, let's get her! She's just a girl!"

I licked my lips. "Well, well aren't we big boys!" I chimed as they came charging at me. I acted fast and pulled out the kunai that I had concealed and watched delighted as their faces morphed into luscious fear. "Want me to make you men?" I asked.

"What are you-" One of them gulped and swallowed down his bravery,

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You've been very naughty little boys, haven't you? Running around and bullying little girls." I lectured. ''Tell me. Does that make you feel powerful? Invincible maybe?"

They didn't answer. So I made them.

I walked toward the biggest of the two as he backed away as I approached him with a close-eyed smile. His friend didn't dare to argue.

"I asked you a question." I said. Anger rising. "Did the three of you seriously have the audacity to drag a poor defenseless girl to the middle of the forest and threaten her? And not just any girl, but a child of one of the four noble clans? The Hyuuga clan leader's daughter himself!"

Hinata whimpered as we peered in her direction. She was a crying mess.

I blinked and shook my head. I should end this.

"I-I..." The boy stuttered as he backed into a tree. A rat cornered in its cage.

"You know I wouldn't be surprised if they stopped you morons from becoming ninja after this little stunt you just pulled." Their eyes bugged out. "I mean what are you three compared to the power and influence of a clan who can bend the rules to their favor? I sneered. "You boys on the other hand are just disposable garbage, who can be tossed out and replaced at any time." I brought the knife to his throat. "Konoha has no need for scum like you. Who prey on the weak and defenseless for shits and giggles."

I pressed the blade closer, drawing blood. "Now unless you want to leave this place in one piece I suggest you apologize."

"G-gomen-"

I pushed deeper as he squealed like a pig.

"Not to me!" I drew his attention to Hinata. "To her. Both of you! And I want you to grovel on your knees!"

The two of them began to cry, the one in front of me was already wetting himself.

"Gomennasai!" Both said in unison, heads bowed to the floor.

Hinata merely cowered.

I sighed. Good enough.

I gave them each a disgusted look, before finally releasing my hold. "Pick up your friend over there and get lost. I never want to see your faces around here again."

They heeded my warning like good dogs and scampered off with their comatose friend.

Pfft, They even scurry like vermin.

"Ah...uhmmm..."

I turned to Hinata who had oriented herself as she stared holes through me. She seemed as if she was stumbling over some words trying to find the right ones as she continued to process what had happened.

I tucked the kunai out of sight. For a long while nobody spoke.

I didn't know what to make of the girl. She was clearly socially awkward as well as shy. I'd like to say we were two peas in a pod, but that wasn't a fair comparison. So I decided to be the one to break the ice. "Are you alright Hyuuga-san?"

Hinata fidgeted and my eyes softened.

"H-hai!" She stuttered out before bowing clumsily. "A-arigatou!"

I smiled, waving off her gratitude. But I can't say I didn't enjoy it. "You're quite welcome. My name is Kiyohime by the way." I introduced, politely bowing.

"I'm Hyuuga H-Hinata." She returned.

Figures. "Well it's very much a pleasure to meet you." I said pleasantly. "I could escort you home, if you'd like. It's quite dangerous here."

She blushed, before glancing to the side. "W-what about him?"

I followed her gaze down towards Naruto who was still down for the count. "He'll be fine. He's quite resilient." I brushed off, kindly offering her my hand. "Shall we go?"

She seemed nervous and cautious, but ultimately relented as she took my hand and I guided her along.

 _The heiress of the Byakugan, huh?_

My grin stretched from ear to ear.

 _How interesting..._

* * *

 **Aesthetic changes/Additional edits by CherryBerry12** : March 12th, 2018

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

A/N: Yep! Are girl is slowly moving up in the world!

So, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~


	6. A Big Leap Forward

Dudum, the next chapter!

A proud salute to all of you guys! 22 reviews! 109 followers and 61 favs for a measly five chapters! It really brings a smile to my face!

From here on out things are about to get much, much sweeter!

* * *

"The only one who can decide your worth.. is you. If you want to earn something, you need to reach out for it. Pro-athletes give up their teenage years to train. Business owners put up collateral to borrow money. That's how it always works. To make your ambitions come true, you have to take risks. The larger the ambition the greater the risk. That might involve time or enough work to affect your lifespan... So make your choice. Live in peace as a wannabe or risk losing it all to reach the very top. You're the one who needs to decide."

 _Jabami Yumeko (Kakegurui)_

* * *

 **Chapter Five: A Big Leap Forward**

Like it or not, I had played the valiant knight in shining armor when I rescued that little girl from peril.

I keep asking what prompted me to step in the way I did. Truth be told, I would have probably been better off in the long run if I left things as they were.

But it just didn't sit right with me.

Maybe it was some veneer of ego that I picked up on my stay here or perhaps it was the feeling of revulsion toward the strong baring their teeth down on the weak that upset me.

At the end of the day all of that didn't really matter.

I was no hero nor was I going to begin acting like one.

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

I wasn't a bad person, but I wasn't entirely good either.

If all else, I planned to use the Hyuuga for my own benefits.

At the end of the day Hinata and her clan would be nothing more pawns in my game.

* * *

I didn't quite know what to make of Hinata. Ever since the day I had rescued her from her tormentors our interactions had been few and far between, aside from the subliminal greeting and eye contact. If nothing else, I would have argued that we were complete strangers.

That was until the stalking started.

At first, I'll admit it was cute. Odd, but endearing. So I ignored it.

I now see that that was a huge mistake. It was one thing to have an admirer, it was another to have a creeper.

Hinata was crossing the threshold between the two.

She didn't talk to me, only watched, mainly when I was doing my training and preoccupied and usually from a far enough distance so as not to be seen.

By the third week I decided to draw the line and put my foot down.

I finished my last sit up before narrowing my eyes toward a sakura tree hiding a small silhouette.

I sighed. "Hinata-chan?" I acted surprised, to save the girl some embarrassment. It didn't help much, but it was a start, especially after she came out scarlet from having been caught peeping.

It wasn't really a great spot to begin with.

"Ano…K-k-kiyohime-san." She stuttered, eyes facing the ground. "G-gomen."

I gave a friendly smile. "It's alright Hinata-chan. What brings you out here?"

"I...I" She fidgeted, insecurely. Probably unsure how to speak of her illicit trailing.

So I decided to throw her a bone. "Well since you're here do you want to grab lunch? I know a great dango stand that's not too far from here."

The reaction was immediate, a smile forming before dimming slightly. She was hesitant. She probably never really had any friends to do those kinds of things with.

So I took the reins and guided her along merrily. "Trust me." I pushed her right along. "It'll be fun!"

And from that day on, Hinata and I became dango buddies.

* * *

Another month passed uneventfully, except that Hinata started talking to me in more than just the casual greeting as we had gone from awkward to budding friendship, at least in her mind we had.

But that may have had to do with the fact that neither of us really had anyone else to talk to on a personal level.

Sure I had a few people I could go to for advice, but in terms of trust, I knew where their real loyalties were in the end.

And although Hinata had a family, she was considered the black sheep of her clan. A meek, weak little girl who would one day have to lead an entire clan.

I suspect that kind of pressure would leave any four-year-old a bit unhinged.

I yawned as I fought the urge to keep my eyes peeled during another rudimentary course on the basics of chakra before we began utilizing the actual thing a year from now.

Unsurprisingly, a not so subtle jab bought my attention. Hinata was seated beside me, giving me a stern look as she retracted her elbow.

I gave her a wary glance before sighing. "What?"

Hinata frowned. "You should really pay attention Kiyohime-chan." Her voice lacking the usual stutter.

I crossed my arms and buried my head in my desk. "What does it matter? " I grunted, "This lesson was made for children."

"But aren't you a child Kiyohime-chan?" Her words were laced with confusion.

"True, but unlike most children I don't squabble my free time playing."

Or having a social life. But nobody needed to know that.

Time was precious, so why waste it doing something as precarious as getting down in the mud and being dirty, when I was so above such things.

Hinata shook her head before reaching under her desk and pulling out a notebook and a pen and placing it in front of my prone form. "At least pretend that you're taking notes." She paused before giving a set of puppy eyes. "Please."

I sighed, grabbing the pen and paper resentfully. What happened to the timid girl I used to know and love?

When class ended I returned the notebook to Hinata who seemed a bit peeved at me when she found out that I had defiled it with a picture of the teacher getting devoured by a giant fox.

Oops.

As we were preparing to leave that very same teacher asked me to stay after class. So I gave Hinata the go ahead to head out without me and took a seat nearest to the teachers desk.

The teacher observed me for a few moments before shaking her head. "Enjoy your beauty rest?"

Well that was unexpected. Bracing on the side of caution I shrugged and propped myself up lazily. "Could have been better," I responded.

She blinked and began to chuckle, which was odd because I've never seen her so much as smirk. Alarm bells were buzzing. "I can't believe it."

"Can't believe what?" I asked, giving her a weird stare. I was beginning to get nervous.

She coughed, resorting back to an air of professionalism. "Tell me Kiyohime. How is it that a girl with no legitimate clan backing nor shinobi family background manages to score the highest grade of her age group, while still managing the time to nap? "

Shrugging, I responded. "My charming personality."

And future premonitions.

She smiled. "Quite. In any case I am pleased to announce that as of this moment you will no longer be a member of this class."

I froze as she handed me a slip of paper. I swallowed roughly. "What is this?"

"The room number for your new homeroom."

"I don't understand?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't get me wrong. If it was up to me I'd flunk you right here and now. But you're a bright girl, talented despite your lesser quirks and the village has taken note of that." She commented as she began to pack up her own things. "You'll be moving up to an upper-level class and, depending how that goes, you may apply for early graduation."

The words played in my head as I clenched the paper tighter. This is what I wanted. To be able to move up and gain more strength. But still…"There's more to becoming a ninja than just grades." I blurted out.

"Yes there is. Strength and skills are factors and so are the number of jutsu one possesses. However, there is more to becoming a ninja than raw power." She came around her desk and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You must also have the knowledge to use that power wisely and employ it in a way that is beneficial to not only yourself, but to your comrades as well."

"I…arigatou." I bowed

She seemed stunned by my gratitude, but accepted it. "Best of luck to you." She replied as she left the room with me widely smiling at the tiny scrap of paper as if it held all the answers.

I did it.

* * *

I stared at the object in my hand and analyzed it from top to bottom as Yugao swayed back and forth on her heels eagerly awaiting my reaction as Hayate observed the two of us with an appearance of cynicism that made him look way way older than he exactly was.

"Well?" Hayate was the first to ask, which meant that he basically handed me the free space to say whatever was on the tip my tongue, stupid or not without a major insult being thrown back at my face.

So I said the first thing that came to mind. "It's a leaf." I replied brusquely.

Yugao laughed and Hayate face-palmed.

Well it was a good try.

After I had announced that I'd be skipping a few grades, my success was met with some skepticism. Kanpu was more than accepting and agreed to the transfer as well as to the signing of the necessary paperwork that went with such a change. Hinata was dejected that I'd be leaving so soon after we just became friends, but after I told her we could still meet up for lunch and outside the Academy she was more than glad to support my efforts. That left Yugao and Hayate, who were less optimistic, citing the dangers of graduating too early.

In the end it was my decision and I was more than ready to take the next leap forward. That didn't mean they weren't going to give me a spring to stand on in the process.

So they gave me an offer that I couldn't turn down. If I swore to be careful and play nice with the big boys and girls I'd be forced to interact with, they promised to teach me how to use chakra. It seemed like an even trade off, but it forbade me from disciplining a few...

Yugao cheered wryly. "Absolutely! It's most definitely a leaf! Congratulations! Show her what's she's won, Hayate-kun!"

Hayate and I gave her weary glances. We were not going to entertain her today.

"Yugao..." Hayate said tiredly.

"Yes?" She replied innocently, cocking her head to the side.

"Shut up."

I ignored the semantics, electing give to give off an irritated pout as I crossed my arms together. "Can we get on with it?" I asked.

Did everything always have to be so melodramatic with these two?

"Fine, fine." Yugao brushed off, ignoring my menacing scowl as she let out a few remaining giggles.

Hayate seemed to be the mature one of the two today and pulled out an identical leaf from his pocket. "Before we get started-…" He sent an annoyed expression to his partner in all this madness. "-care to explain what chakra is?"

Well that was a dumb question and he dared to criticize my half-baked remarks. Now that's just plain rude.

"Essentially chakra is the energy found within every living thing and is the core piece to the most basic techniques." I said very slowly so he could get it through his thick skull to stop fishing for stupid answers.

He wasn't impressed. "That's it?" He asked, as if he was realizing for the first time that he was speaking to a child.

Sheesh, I really wish people would stop treating me like a baby on training wheels. I shrugged and thought for a minute. "It also comes from space." I pointed to the sky with a serious look.

Too bad I was so damn lovable.

"I just had to ask." Hayate sighed as he massaged his eyelids and mumbled something incoherent before sticking the leaf onto his forehead. I watched on slightly absorbed as the leaf didn't waver or retract as one might expect, but rather glued itself onto its host like a leech.

"How did you do that?" I demanded to know as Hayate flashed a smirk.

"Lesson number one. Concentration. It's not enough to simply want to mold chakra, you have to learn how to control it as well."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that the purpose of this particular exercise is actually to hone an individual's focus and to keep their mind at ease in the heat of battle." Yugao jumped in, snatching up the leaf from Hayate and placing it on her own head much to his offense.

Battle huh? I regarded my own leaf as I playfully toyed with it.

It made sense. In a way, combat generally adhered to a more methodical style of killing that didn't give you the luxury of playing with an opponent. You had to be quick on your feet or thorough enough to outthink and disarm an enemy.

"So want to give it a go?"

At my ready, Hayate and Yugao went on to coach me on the chakra system and how to layer and feed it into the different networks of my body so as not to exhaust myself. It felt weird, but also natural. It wasn't as hard as I imagined it to be, but then again I think that was the whole idea.

The key to this exercise was to let go of your doubt and worry.

To free yourself from the what if's and maybe's and apply yourself to finding a solution.

To extend your horizons.

And watch the sun slowly start to rise...

* * *

"Ano...Kiyohime-chan."

I slurped up another stick of dumplings before turning to Hinata who nervously twisted her thumbs as she avoided my gaze.

"What's up?" I gulped as we sat down on a park bench, dining on the tasty treats.

"Aaa...m-my mother asked if you would be willing to come over for a play date this weekend?" She spit out before quickly adding, "Y-you don't have to come, but...my mother really wanted to meet you."

I frowned. "Why does your mom want to see me?" It's not like I was someone who the Hyuuga matriarch should have been so keen on meeting.

Hinata's cheeks burned pink. "I-it's just that I've talked about you to her a lot and so..."

I sighed, figured it was something like that. Either way I was beaten.

If I turned down the invitation it would be like snubbing one of the noble families and if I did go it meant completely solidifying my friendship with Hinata.

For better or for worse, I was between a rock and a hard place.

I bit my lip. It couldn't be helped.

"Alright! Sounds like fun!" I said with a hollow smile.

Hinata beamed.

 _At that moment, I wanted to do nothing more than snap her neck._

* * *

"Alright class, we have a new student starting with us today." Tomo-sensei clapped, with a stretched grin. He was a chuunin with light brown hair with aqua green eyes and an overly charismatic spirit.

 _He'll definitely die early on._

"She a little younger so make sure to treat her well!"

I walked to the front with a natural indifference to the not so hushed whispers and bowed.

"I'm Kiyohime and I look forward to learning with you all."

I can feel the eyes stare at me quizzically and I stare right back...

...And smile with the confidence of the next shinobi prodigy.

* * *

 **Aesthetic changes/Additional edits by CherryBerry12** : March 12th, 2018

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

A/N: Sooooo, here we go. This chapter is setting up for something a bit more bigger and I can't wait until shit hits the fan!

Remember reviews make even a cloudy day shine for me. So keep them


	7. Meeting Interesting New People

Miss me?

...Well I'm back with another chapter, this one was a dozy so I hope you all like it!

P.S: I'm looking for a _beta_ for this story, so any and all volunteers who want to help me polish and throw in some ideas are welcome to message me.

So with that being said...

* * *

"If nobody care to accept you and wants you in this world, accept yourself and you will see that you don't need them and their selfish ideas."

 _~Alibaba (Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic)_

* * *

 **Chapter Six: Meeting Interesting New People**

My resolve to get stronger lasted for a grand total of one day until it eventually crumbled and fell apart like a house of cards.

Indeed, there are two things you must remember if you ever decide to cut corners and skip a few grades. First and foremost, be prepared to meet the glaring hateful sneers of those twice your age, because despite what most people would have you believe, kids are mean, vicious little monsters hiding behind a mask of cuteness and innocence.

Second, avoid the teachers who shower you with love and praise just because you're a few inches shorter.

Nothing says teacher's pet like actually getting pat on the head twelve times a day.

The children were even worse. Every day after morning classes ended, a certain group of boys and girls thought it fun to tease and isolate the 'baby' of their class on principle alone. Those not aligned with said bunch thought it best to simply act as if I was not there.

Which was fine. I didn't want anything to do with them either.

Come lunch time I moved to my usual spot on the roof.

Despite the necessity of it, I didn't know how to cook and left it up to Yugao to prepare my lunches for me. Oddly enough, she was a fairly decent cook, but we would need to have a long talk about the copious amounts of ketchup she's applied to my meals.

"Excuse me..." A voice suddenly said, which made me look up, halfway through a bite of my lunch with a wooden expression. Huh? Strange, I didn't hear or sense another person approaching. "Are you Kiyohime-san?" He asked, while crouching down so that he was at level head with me.

I took a bite of my food.

It was a boy, a very pale older boy with faint blond hair that was slicked back a bit as he acknowledged me with a wide-eyed expression that seemed off, considering that he had several dark rings under his eyes that made it look like he hadn't slept in days.

I swallowed. "What's it to you?" I said with a poker-face, reaching in for another bite.

He probably came to bully me or be my friend. It was always one of these two.

The boy seemed to eye me with a thoughtful but deranged look as he intentionally got closer to me, before leaning into my personal space, which caused me to gasp and jump back in shock, dropping my lunch.

"W-what are you doing!" I unintentionally stuttered, as I began to feel completely unnerved and wary of my uninvited guest.

He stared at my previous spot before his eyes galloped upward with a smirk. "Interesting." He mumbled, his gaze probing me as if I was some kind of trophy he desperately wanted.

I growled. "What are you, some kind of pervert or something?" I hugged myself, covering up my non-existent chest up as he continued to examine me.

"Pervert?" He said innocently, bobbing his head to the side. "I'm not a pervert."

I scoffed. "Yeah right! Only a pervert denies that he's a pervert." I backtracked. "Except for Jiraiya-sama. He's proud of his perverseness." I said almost proudly.

He seemed to sit straighter at this criticism, brushing himself off as he sat up wearing a white high-collared kimono shirt, with a dark blue obi wrapped around his waist that had a sort of wounded warrior look to it. "I assure you I am not a-"

"Pervert!" I continued unhinged, mouth gaping wide open. "Creep!"

"If you will just-"

"Predator!"

"I-"

"Deviant! Degenerate! Pig!" I protested over him. "Sicko!"

He'd seemed to take the hint and allowed me to flush out my anger as I not only had to deal with him, but also the collateral of a lost lunch that was slowly being devoured by flies, so pardon, but I was in need of compensation.

So after blowing out my last insult he looked as if he was unsure of whether he wanted to proceed at this point.

"Are you done?" He said dryly as I huffed out a last breath and grunted a curse.

"Eh, what do you want?"

He bowed like a prince asking a princess for her hand in marriage. "My name is Shin. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Oh great. The creepy smile was back and it was starting to bug me.

"Right." I drawled. "So listen pale boy. Whatever you're selling I'm not interested in buying, so shoo." I made a sweeping gesture hoping that he would take the hint and run back to whatever hole he'd crawled out from.

If only it was ever that easy.

"So you don't want to hear what I have to say." He gave me a fake smile.

"No." I said vacantly pretending that he was just another spec of dirt beneath my shoes. "As far I'm concerned you're super creepy." I paused before crossing my arms as I corrected myself. "A super creepy pervert."

If didn't know better I would have sworn I saw a vein jump in his forehead, but as I blinked he kept on playacting that annoying grin, so it must have been my imagination playing tricks on me.

"How cruel. Tell me how you can make such a rash judgement when you've barely gotten the chance to know me?"

"It's your face." I deadpanned.

"...My face?" He winced as he stroked his jaw line. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's untrusting, like one of those dastardly comic book villains." I shrugged. Seemed like the right thing to say. "You tell me your evil scheme followed by a lengthy rendering of a tragic backstory that makes the audience sympathetic to your cause despite how unbearably stupid and complexly convoluted it is in the first place."

I sigh, shaking my head, pacing in place.

"Then we transition to the hero-me-and the villain-you- battling it out in some battered wasteland clear of any collateral fodder as I try to convince you to see the error of your ways and join the righteous side of my version of peace and justice, while completely ignoring yours, because I'm the good guy and it's either my way or the highway!" I puffed out my chest proudly.

"I see..." He murmured wistfully, while losing some sense of his previous color, more than likely reevaluating his place in the world.

I snickered impishly. "Hey pal, don't take it personally. It's sort of a sixth sense of mine. You just happen to fit the bill."

"Is it correct to say I fit the profile of a villain?"

"It depends." I said facetiously. "Is water tasteless? Are aliens real? Is the sun a giant swirly ray of death ready to swoop down and turn us into cooked jello?" I palmed a fist into my hand to signify crashing.

"Uh..."

"Exactly!" I chirped, cutting him off mid daze. "So there's your answer! You fit all the criteria of a one-dimensional villain! Congratulations!" I smiled foxily as the school bell rang.

"Whelp look at the time! Nice to see meet you whoever you are." I admonish, hastily slipping on my book bag, while skipping cheerfully towards the exit. "Let's do this again never!"

By the time he regained his ability to speak and form words for a rebuttal I had already booked it down three flights of stairs.

* * *

I glanced at the ribbon in my hair, scowling in irritation as if it would bend to my will if I scared it. I was wearing my best kimono and a well-hidden strap of kunai tucked underneath. Because, well, when a ninja invites you to their home, it's better to be armed and ready, rather than a sitting duck.

The walk to the Hyuuga compound was short, but the area around it was completely isolated and withdrawn from the neighboring houses, logically this was to ward off any curious civilians who might be stupid enough to walk into a heavily fortified clan district.

When I got to the gates two guards stopped me.

"State your business," the oldest said. I noted that they both wore headbands, more than likely they were branch members.

"I'm Kiyohime." I pointed at myself. "I'm a friend of Hinata-chan."

The youngest guarded, nodded. "Please, follow me."

I was led to the main household and around back. From a distance, I could hear bouts of laughter before rounding the corner and seeing Hinata along with another person, this one an older Hyuuga woman conversing with the younger, at a table set up in the garden.

"Kiyohime!" Hinata ran up to me, pulling me into a tight sealed hug. "You came!" She said, sounding almost relieved.

It's not like I had much of an alternative.

"Wouldn't have missed it." I lied to the blissfully unaware girl.

Hinata motioned me to the table where the older woman was waiting patiently.

"Mother this is the friend I've been telling you about." Hinata introduced courteously.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Hyuuga-sama." I bowed with the greeting.

The Hyuuga sitting on the other end of the table gave a closed-eyed smile, reflecting an aristocratic aura of superiority in her posture, but also kindness. Her daughter was the spitting image of her.

"Maa, maa. Aren't you a cute and mild-mannered one?" The Hyuuga matriarch commented with a sly smirk that revealed a perfect row of teeth, turning to Hinata with a scandalous glow, her smile turned ferocious. "I expected nothing less from my daughter. Well done." She complimented, leaving me confused and Hinata two shades whiter, pale and gawking.

"M-Mother…!" Hinata cried, arms flailing and eyes wide in indignation, the woman seemingly pleased by her young daughter's response, brightened like a cat who seemed to have backed her prey into a corner, adding insult to injury by casually purring.

"I approve."

That seemed to do the trick. Hinata looked crestfallen, gasping at me like a fish out water, before turning back towards her mother with a look of betrayal and ire. Eventually she finally seemed to just give up all together, as if she had just come to the brutal realization of learning for the first time how cruel and merciless the world could truly be. I stood as the odd man out on this one, completely befuddled and out of the loop.

"Kiyohime was it? Please have a seat." The eldest Hyuuga decided to cut in, probably deciding that dirty laundry was best aired behind closed doors.

The rest of the visit was unnerving. Hinata's mother, Hiromi, was strange. She actively went above and beyond to embarrass Hinata or make something out of nothing and rearrange and strum it into an awkward pause, churned in with simple, but innocent questions about my school and personal life which at times would feel like an interrogation I felt I was highly underprepared for, before backtracking into a monologue of Hinata's own deep dark secrets supplied with a sinister overtone of baby photos.

Let's just say by the end of it, Hinata was passed out and dead to the world as she was carried back to her room by caretakers with a deep blush eating at her face. Her mother, the caring person that she was, held back the hail of cackles that would ensue only after her daughter's limp form had been taken away.

'We never did get to play.'

My visit was cut short and Hiromi was the one to walk me back to the front gates. When we were in spitting distance of the gates the matriarch flashed me a smirk and patted me on the head much to my confusion.

"Ne, it seems I have much to thank you for Hebi-chan."

I frowned at the nickname, but repressed it. "How come?" I tilted my head.

Hiromi pressed a fingertip to her lips in contemplation "Hinata...is a bird who hasn't yet opened her wings to soar." She finally hummed, nodding proudly to herself as if she had found the cure to all ailments.

"Ok..." I said slowly, not sure where this was going.

She crouched to my height and to my shock began to fix the loosened ribbon in my hair, with a motherly touch. "So as a parent, I feel as if it's my duty to give her a nudge out the nest." She sighed tiredly. "But it seems that even this has been made complicated."

I had no idea what she was talking about, but waved it off as a need to know for later and filed it into my big box of 'important things that will possibly save my ass in the future,' rather than the yard of garbage labeled under 'return to sender.'

"So, if it's not too much trouble-" She tightened the ribbon and pinned me with a hopeful stare "Be good to Hinata. I know she can be a bit of a wall flower and isn't very confident in her own strength, and I know that it's completely selfish of me to ask as this of you, but-" There was a small quirk on her lips. "-she's strong, strong in a real way, and if she had one true friend who saw those qualities, I believe she could excel and move past those vexatious insecurities of hers."

She reached out and cupped both my hands into her own. "So please, take good care of my Hinata-chan."

I blinked a few times, shocked beyond words. When I pictured Hinata's mother I had imagined her nothing like this, not even close. This woman, despite her twisted sense of humor, was a completely different person from her authoritative husband. She actually cared for her daughter. Is this why Hinata is so kind?

"I-I understand." I said. "I'll do my best to keep an eye out for her, as her friend."

Hiromi's face beamed before morphing into some hidden mischief. "And who knows, in the future I wouldn't mind if you two where something a bit more." She smiled knowingly.

I didn't respond to this, already feeling a creeping shiver crawl up my spine at the comment.

"Hyuuga-sama." I bowed politely, receiving a nod back.

"Hope to see you again soon."

I could feel her gaze undressing me until I was past the gate. Needless to say, I was in no rush to return.

* * *

"You know, I'm beginning to think that this isn't such a hot idea." I sighed, holding a large scroll with the words. ' _Forbidden_ ' scrawled all in kanji on the front. "Where did you even get this anyway?" I asked, eyes narrowed in accusation.

Yugao smiled cheerily, ignoring my looks of suspicion. "Hey what's with that look? You said you wanted me to teach you a super cool jutsu."

I looked at her warily. "Yes, cool, not forbidden or illegal."

The Anbu operative tasked with keeping classified village Intel under wraps, smiled wider. "It's only illegal if you get caught."

I sweat dropped. "You're a bad role model." And a horrible black ops agent.

She shrugged unrepentant. "Aren't you going to open it?"

Well it is what it is. I mentally sighed, giving the scroll a slight once over, before peeling off the tag that kept it sealed and its secrets hidden. Inside were some of the villages most advanced jutsu.

"Uh, Yugao, how did you say you got this again?"

"I took it when no one was watching." She smirked, proud of her accomplishment.

"Of course you did." I didn't know if I should have slapped or praised the woman. So I did neither.

Flipping through some of the easier techniques, I sought out something more to my level. I was still an amateur, so I had no hope that I would be able to pull off anything grand.

"How about we start with the basics." Yugao stretched over my shoulders, eagerness edged in her very voice.

Why did I have a feeling that this could only end badly?

* * *

As I was walking out of the academy, it just so happened to be raining.

Terrific, not a cloud in the sky all day and suddenly wham! A sky full of thunderstorms. I didn't even bring an umbrella. I was going to get soaked. Everyone had already left, most with their parents who had come by with handy rain utensils.

There were only a few teachers and staff around left to grade papers. None of whom I bet would be willing to depart with their umbrella.

"Ah, we meet again. Need a hand?"

I turned around and with a perfectly timed lightning strike I saw Super-Creepy-Pervert staring at me with a sharp tooth smile. And yes, I was still using that name.

"What do you want?" I glared. The last thing I needed was a migraine.

"You seem to be missing your umbrella." He said, more as a statement than a question.

I scoffed, turning my back on him. "So what!"

He stared at me, seemingly wanting to say something.

"Well!?" What was wrong with this kid?

"If you want I could walk you home, that way you won't get wet." He offered, never once losing his grin.

"As if I'd go anywhere with you."

"Aa, so you enjoy getting rained on." He chuckled as if it was all a joke.

I was this close to strangling him. "Leave! I don't want your help!"

He didn't move. I sighed in defeat looking at the ground, then the sky for support.

...Nothing.

"If walking with me is a problem, then here." He stuck out his umbrella toward me. "It's fine, I don't really mind the rain. It's quite calming."

Geez, now he was being chivalrous. I'm going to regret this, aren't I? "No-ugh! It's fine, w-we can share."

He seemed surprised by this. "Are you sure? I don't want to come off as a creep."

I blinked. Was he being serious? "Shut up and let's go."

So, we began to walk together, side by side under the umbrella towards the orphanage, neither one saying a word to the other.

I decided to strike up a conversation. "What did you say your name was again?"

"My name is Shin and yours is Kiyohime-san." He said with absolute certainty, as if he was reading off a script.

I frowned. "Right...that reminds me, how did you know my name?"

He didn't respond to this for a while before saying- "I heard it from the other students, you're quite...unpopular."

Ow, that stung. "Is that so?" I smiled, a bitter cynical one that looked a touch out of place.

Either ignoring my brooding or completely unaware, Shin continued. "Yes, but it is to be expected, people are innately prone to attacking what they fear..."

I snorted. "Pfft, what do they have to fear from me?" Besides the obvious.

"You're a threat, not physically, but emotionally." He elaborated. "You're surrounded by students who've trained and studied for years trying to do what you've achieved in a month. It's amusing if you think about it."

"Ha-ha, and you're telling me you're somehow above the pettiness and scorn." I said tersely.

"Not at all. As a matter of fact, I find you to be an interesting person. One so young and inexperienced managed to outshine those around her without any clan influence or Kekkei Genkai. Indeed, you are fascinating, Kiyohime-san." He admitted.

I looked out into the rain, red splotches appearing on both of my cheeks. "Baka...don't go saying stuff like that."

Shin only continued to smile.

* * *

 **Aesthetic changes/Additional edits by CherryBerry12** : March 23rd, 2018

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

 **Hiromi ( 寛美)-** From Japanese 博 (hiro) meaning "wide, broad, rich, abundant, plentiful", 宏 (hiro) meaning "wide, spacious, great, vast" or 大 (hiro) meaning "big, great" combined with 美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" or 実 (mi) meaning "seed; fruit; nut". Other kanji combinations are also possible. [source: Behind the Name]

A/N: Weird how we never got that much context on Hinata's mother. Oh well I hope I did her justice. What did you guys think about Shin? I've wanted to include him into this story since the beginning.

So, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~


	8. Life's Ups and Downs

Tick. Tick. Ding!

Hot and ready and fresh out of the typer, it's another spectacular chapter!

A slap on the back to **CherryBerry12** for the beta!

And since I'm in such a great mood, I've decided to throw in a little something extra...

Enjoy!

* * *

"If your life can change once, your life can change again."

 _~ Sanae (Clannad)_

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: Life's Ups and Downs**

"Why are you still here?" I glared at my unannounced guest from the opposite end of the table, my gaze drilling a solid hole right through his thick head.

 _Why don't you just die?!_

Shin paused, a steaming tea cup a few millimeters from lips. "Actually, I am quite baffled by this as well, were you not the one who invited me?" He smiled, knowing full well that was not what happened.

It's been almost an hour since this roach crawled his way into the orphanage building, using the kind ploy of lending me an umbrella as leverage.

I tried to close the door in his face, tried to go on with the rest of my day pretending that boy didn't exist and was not a stubborn scar on my psyche.

Then Kanpu arrived and saw me screaming like a maniac in a feeble attempt to get the boy to just go away. But instead of helping, the old bastard invited Shin in and even served him tea!

' _Oh I have plans for you Kanpu. So many plans.'_ I smiled darkly.

"I think you have something on your face." Shin said helpfully, scratching at his cheeks.

And in a flash my mood turned ugly.

I rose up, eyes narrowed in hate. "I'm going to drown you." I said bluntly. "I'm going to tie cement blocks to your legs and leave you to sleep with the fishes."

Shin hummed, barely phased by my threats. "Do fish even sleep?"

 _That's it! He's so dead!_

I only managed to leap halfway across the table before I was yanked back by my shirt. Kanpu was holding me with an inscrutable expression.

I sighed. "Put me down." I said, fixated on my mission to eradicate all annoying little boys.

"Are you going to harm our guest?" Physically and emotionally, as a matter of fact.

"He's not a guest!"

Kanpu gave me a look.

I pouted. "No promises."

Figuring that was the best he was going to get, Kanpu let me back down, handing me a cup of tea to calm my mood. It didn't help. I stuck my tongue out at my caretaker as he took his own seat at the table, ignoring my existence.

Shin looked on, with a nostalgic tenderness. "Ne, who knew Kiyohime-san was such a tsundere."

I gasped, a creeping blush overtaking my face. "I-I am not a tsundere!

"Initially hostile towards others, she gradually reveals a warmer, friendlier side of herself." Shin sipped his tea. "All of these are the makings of a fine tsundere."

I grew cold. "Y-you're wrong...I'm not..." I turned Kanpu for help.

The man looked away in shame. He didn't respond.

A silence followed that seemed to match the mood.

I was angry.

"Can I have another cup? It was very delicious." Shin asked politely.

 _'That's it! I've had it!'_

I roared like a caged beast and pounced.

* * *

"...You know there's a lesson to be had here, but for the life of me I can't seem to find it." Hayate lamented, with his head weakly cupped in his hands.

I sat beside Hayate, flipping through a small notebook with numerous jutsu from the forbidden scroll with a handful of diagrams and sketches for demonstration purposes.

"I think your faith in humanity has been fairly crushed, Hayate-kun." I snorted, trying to memorize the hand seals of each specific jutsu.

Hayate's mouth twitched. "Believe me Hime, that's been gone for a long, long time."

"Since when?" I asked genuinely curious, with a raised eyebrow, wondering who or what could have touched Hayate's faith in his fellow man.

Hayate passed off a livid stare. "I don't know, when did we first meet?"

 _Oh it was me._

He said it so monotonously, as if I was the bane of his existence.

Mm-mm...I very well may have been.

I rolled my eyes. "I love you too!" I gave a feral smile, too sweet to be entirely authentic. My hand drifted unconsciously over my heart to express all the feelings I had for someone I was bound to one day smother in his sleep.

I sat against a large boulder on a rough patch of grassland in the center of a wide, open forest clearing, reading my notes and occasionally cloud gazing. Hayate stood stiff, watching with a heavy breath at something that he seemed unable to describe.

"I can't believe you did this." Hayate whined or cried. I could never tell with him.

I yawned, starting to feel sluggish from my chakra exertion for day. "Blame Yuugao-chan." That was a beat we could all dance to.

Hayate grunted. "I plan to, believe me, I plan to." He growled, watching from a distance as Yuugao sparred with an exact replica of me, a clone I tasked with all my leisurely assignments for the day.

And unlike the flimsy clone technique we learned in the academy, which were more or less practical illusions to trick an enemy, the **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** was much more corporeal, dividing a user's chakra evenly amongst every one of their clones, giving them a fraction of the caster's overall power.

Best of all, they were completely sentient and capable of adapting.

"Please tell me you haven't been using them too sporadically."

"Of course not." I lied, because seriously why wouldn't I? A great bonus of this technique was that any experience the clones gained during their brief existence was sent back to me when they dispersed, which made them ideal for training purposes and attending the academy in my place.

So long as I didn't strain myself too much it was a win-win situation.

A sudden sharp pop caught both of our attentions and I instantly felt the conscious aura of chakra energy recede back into me, refilling my supply.

Yuugao walked over to us sweaty, with a satisfied expression on her lips, casually twirling a kunai in her hand, after having hacked my clone to pieces with it. "Well that felt good. Who's hungry?"

I raised my hand, both of us ignoring Hayate's menacing scowl, before he eventually sighed in defeat and too raised his hands.

Yuugao and I hid our triumphal smiles.

* * *

"Hello! Welcome to Yamanaka Hana!"

Clenching my nose at the overwhelming floral aroma, I walked to the front counter where the store owner waited with a friendly grin.

He was a refined man, well-built, if not a little on the lean side, with ash blond hair tied into a long ponytail. His facial features looked as if they were carved from rough marble, but what was most captivating about his appearance were his eyes. A rare aquatic-green, worn, perceptive, and calculating.

A shinobi. This man was a shinobi. Trained to fight and kill. So what the hell was he doing working in a flower shop?

Yamanaka Inoichi was no slouch; the man may have acted the part of a fool because his daughter thought she had him wrapped around her tiny fingers, but he was still the Yamanaka clan head responsible for guiding them through the last war and becoming a decorated war hero, by extracting crucial information for the village as head of the Kaisekihan.

The Yamanaka were an august clan in Konoha, known for their contributions in the field of medicine and their specialization in mind related techniques, which were especially useful in the art of interrogation and intelligence gathering.

Like many other clans in Konoha the family made their trade in private businesses. The flower shop was a front used by the Yamanaka to appease the civilian population, which made them popular with foreign merchants and feudal lords who came far and wide to purchase fragrances and negotiate steady contracts in medicinal herbs, skin care, and rare plants.

The Yamanakas were still a ninja clan, though, and were crafty, observant, and meticulous. In times of war they would be as dangerous as the Nara and Akimichi for their fatal advancements in fast acting drugs and poisons. It was that very knowledge that could make them more formidable than any adversary holding special blood or weapons.

It was the reason why I was here.

"Ano, Yamanaka-sama." I bowed, tensing up my muscles and softening my voice to make for a more persuadable appearance.

"Please call me Inoichi-san." The older man's grin grew. "How can I be of service?" He asked coolly, with a looming interest and a small sprinkle of caution that didn't seem to reach his charm.

"Mm...I was hoping you had any flowers that could make someone feel...icky." I asked, with a husky whimper of mortification.

"Icky." Inoichi mused.

I swallowed my pride. "He~...I want to make a whole lot of people icky."

"And why would you ever want to do something like that?" Inoichi asked, with a twinkle in his eyes. The lousy bastard was enjoying this!

"I want to be a really great ninja! But..." I slouched, downcast. "Kanpu-ojiisan said that only clan kids who have special talent can become awesome ninjas." I raised my head up high, adding a few crocodile tears for super effectiveness. "That's why I want to make people feel ill! So that I can protect the village as good as everyone else!"

"I see." Inoichi placed his hand under his chin and nodded in understanding like a wise guru. "In that case, let me see if I have something that can give you a leg up." He winked.

I smiled, clasping my hands together as if I was praying. "Really? Oh thank you so much Inoichi-san!"

"It's my pleasure, but I'm afraid I can't promise anything too...icky." He chuckled naughtily, making his way to the backroom, completely oblivious to my dark smirk.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

It wasn't long before Inoichi came back with two small vials of black goop in his hands, setting both down in front of me, with a stern look. "Now I need you to listen very carefully, these two glasses contain a lot of nasty chemicals. Do you understand? They are not toys, so you have to be very careful in how you use them." he warned.

I blinked several times, nodding. "Ok. But why are you giving me two, Inoichi-san?"

"I'm glad you asked. Well you see, if you wish to become a poison expert, first you have to build up an immunity for the substance first. In order to do that you're going to have to take some yourself."

"So I'm going to have to die?" I said with innocence as pure as snow.

"Ah...well...no...you see..." Inoichi stumbled over his words as he tried to come up with a response to correct his blunder. "This brand of toxin isn't made to kill. Rather, it's a unique brew created by my clan to inhibit motor skills and cause sensory deprivation. So no...uh...dying is involved in any way." He made the last part very clear.

I frowned. "So if I take it I won't be affected by it?"

"That's right, but only if you take it in small doses, that way your body will slowly conform to the toxins."

"That's great! How much do I owe you?" I pulled out a small stash of money, humbly donated from the trusty bank of Hayate, whose life savings happened to be located right under his mattress.

Ninja stealth, ladies and gentlemen.

"Exactly. Chibi-chan, I had something else in mind as way of payment." Inoichi held out his hands in refusal.

"What do you mean?" I said carefully.

Inoichi smiled. "You know I happen have a daughter who's around your age."

 _Oh no._

"And you seem like such a nice young girl."

 _Please no._

"So I was willing to give you this purchase on the house if you'd agree to spend some time with my darling little Ino-chan."

 ** _NONONONO!_**

Inoichi laughed, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Gomen, I don't want to make you feel pressured, it's just..." He sighed, that one huff oh breath taking all the energy out of him. "Lately she's been...moody. She had a fight with one of her friends and won't let anyone near her. Her mother and I don't know what to do. I know it's not my place to pry, but as a father it breaks my heart to see my poor Ino-chan suffer so much when I can't do anything about it."

My face was starting to get heated. ' _Dammit people! Stop sending me your kids!'_

It was clear from his words he was talking about Ino and Sakura breaking up their friendship out of their shared affection for Sasuke-kun. I sneered in disgust.

To my credit, I didn't let any of my demons show and gave a stoic smile. There was no way I was going to take on a crying Hyuuga and a bratty Yamanaka. It's just not happening!

"Well you see…" I gritted, the need to kill growing.

Before I could deject, Inoichi brought out a third bottle, this one a different shade from the rest. "I'm willing to upgrade your purchase of course, a paralysis elixir." He then took out a slip of paper. "I'll even give you the instructions on making the contents."

I was stunned. "I-I...aren't these Yamanka secret recipes?" I said slowly, trying to get a feeling for what the man was doing. You couldn't just divulge clan secretes so casually, could you?

"Nothing is too costly from my baby girl." He said sharply, with all the raging flames of a father's love.

I weighed my options. On the upside I was getting a bargain in getting inside information on restricted clan poisons. On the other hand, I would have a gun aimed at my feet if I took another brat.

I cursed the world and shot myself in the foot

"You have a deal..." I said with a voice devoid of hope.

Inoichi bounced up and down in excitement, joy written all over his face. "Thank you so much uh..." He didn't even know my name.

"Kiyohime." I deadpan.

"Yes! Arigatou, Kiyohime-chan!" The Yamanaka was practically glowing. "You won't regret this! I just know you and Ino-chan will hit it right off." He shook my hand gleefully, sealing the deal before I could change my mind.

I groaned.

* * *

 _Later that same Day_

* * *

"Life is so unfair! Why does all the worst possible shit have to happen to me?!" I bawled. "I mean, I'm a good person! I haven't stolen, cheated, or killed anyone yet, to get through life, so why do I have to be the universe's goddamn punching bag...!" I leaned closer into the damp shirt where I had poured all of my tears.

Hinata held me like a fragile doll, awkwardly patting my head. "There, there." She tried to sooth my worries, although she wasn't doing a very great job of her own if the concerned fidgeting was any indicator.

But it was appreciated all the same.

I was hysterical; before I knew it I was blabbing curses in English and felt so tired afterwards that I passed out on Hinata's lap.

I hope the poor girl didn't mind.

After I recovered from that small bout of panic, I profusely apologized to her scarlet face.

She somehow wasn't upset by it. In fact, though I wasn't in a great state of mind to judge, it almost seemed like she was happy about it.

Weird.

* * *

"Kiyohime-chan, can you please stay? there's something that I need to discuss with you."

I was in the middle of reading my notes and preparing to leave when Tomo-Sensei called on me. The other kids had already begun to leave, sending me a mix of sneers and smug looks for having done something to upset our teacher.

Tense, I made my way to Tomo. The man smiled kindly.

"Kiyohime-chan. I know you've been using the **Bunshin no Jutsu** to skip classes."

My heart sunk and I looked away in guilt. I had nothing to say in my defense.

"Easy. You're not in trouble; as a matter of fact, I'm impressed. While I think being a little more respectful would do wonders for you, I can't deny hard work when I see it. It's clear you possess great talent, mastering a clone jutsu at your age is an astonishing accomplishment."

I blushed. "Arigatou."

Tomo nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Which is why it gives me great pleasure to recommend you for an early graduation!"

"Huh?"

* * *

OMAKE #1

 _'The Youthful Tales Of Konoha's Sublime Hero! The Beast of Prey! The Green Beast!'_

* * *

In Konoha beneath the dimly lit streets of this once fair village lurked the vilest scum to ever walk the face of the earth.

In his lab, far away from prying eyes, the once legendary Sannin of Konohagakure was preparing to leave his home to further pursue all of life's secrets and mysteries. It was only natural that it would come to this; for years Orochimaru had perpetrated some of the most gruesome experimentations known to man in a quest for immortality and twisted curiosity.

But now that time has passed. It wouldn't be long before the Hokage and his Anbu entourage made their way past all his booby traps and breached the doors of his inner sanctum.

"A shame." The menace smirked with a lick of his tongue. "This village truly was boring. No imagination. It matters not, I'll just have to take my fun elsewhere."

As Orochimaru made preparations for his hasty getaway, a loud crash tore through the walls above him, startling the dastardly villain and stopping him dead in his tracks.

The fiend sneered. "Who dares!"

When the smoke from the falling debris cleared, a man was standing tall with his arms firmly crossed over bulging muscles. He wore a tight spandex suit with a "B" stamped on his chest, overshorts, and a cape tied squarely around his neck. Most notable was his costumes color: green, bright green. His upper face was obscured by a mask but Orochimaru could see a bowl style haircut on top of his head and a remarkably thick pair of eyebrows.

With a stylish pose, the man spoke. **"I AM THE GREEN BEAST!"** He said with a passionate war cry that had the Sannin flinching from the mere volume of it. "Champion of Justice! And on behalf of Youth, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil!" The Green Beast grinned with a sparkling white smile. "And that means you!"

Orochimaru clicked his teeth. What a fool. He was an S-class ninja, feared throughout the whole ninja world, a contender for the seat of the Hokage, Tamer of the Colossal Serpent Manda, one of the only few to have faced Hanzo the Salamander and lived to tell the tale! He was fuckin' Orochimaru, one the three great Sannin and this FREAK would dare challenge him!

"Surrender, trash! Or face the mighty wrath of YOUTH!" The Great Beast commanded. Orochimaru's scowl deepened as he began to flow through a series of hand signs to unleash a jutsu that would terminate this pest in front of him.

 **"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough-!"** Was all the supreme shinobi had time to get out as his breath caved under a vicious strike to his chest.

The Green Beast, in a blinding spectacle of youth and fashion, had jumped the distance between him and the Sannin in seconds, delivering a stunning blow to his foe, disabling him before he could even respond.

Spittle flew out of the snake's mouth as he flew across the room, slamming into his own lab equipment before smashing into the opposite end of the room, leaving a mess in his wake.

"One punch...!" The snake wheezed. "Damn you...Green Beast...I shall not forget this insult...!" He practically hissed out, as the light slowly dwindled from his eyes and Orochimaru of the Sannin lost consciousness from this world.

The Green Beast placed his hands on his hips, laughing boldly and proudly. "Once again the shining ray of YOUTH prevails over evil! HO-HO-HO!" The masked hero then proceeded to turn to his fallen adversary, walking confidently to his battered form. "However, now it is time for you to answer for your heinous acts, criminal!" And the gleam in his eyes promised just that.

 **Moments later...**

The Sandaime Hokage entered the diabolic lab of his student with two Anbu escorts flanking his sides. Needless to say, he was disappointed. He had such high hopes for all of his students, but Orochimaru was different, he was supposed to be the guiding hand of the village's future and prosperity.

But he kissed that fleeting wish goodbye after he found out what exactly his once prized student was up to in his spare time.

The Hokage shook his head in disappointment.

A pervert.

A gambling alcoholic.

Now a mad scientist.

These were his students.

 _'Oh, Minato-kun.'_ The aging Kage reminisced fondly. _'You really were my golden ticket out of this job.'_

That was until the young man decided that having his soul eaten by a god of death was a better deal than a decade's worth of politicking.

In the Sandaime's opinion, he chose right.

But this day was just full of surprises. He knew that Orochimaru wouldn't just go quietly to his dark, wet prison cell on his own recognizance and was well prepared to drag him in kicking and screaming.

That was until he found the man strung upside down wrapped in ninja wire, hanging from the ceiling, out cold.

Attached to him was a note.

* * *

 _~ A gift from your youthful Vigilante._

 _\- The Green Beast._

* * *

And as his Anbu took Orochimaru into custody, the Hokage could only let out a grunt.

"Why do I feel that this is going to lead to even more paperwork?"

 **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (** **影分身の術)-** Similar to the basic Clone Technique, this technique creates copies of the user, however, these clones are solid instead of illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing techniques on their own, including the Shadow Clone Technique itself and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after hit by a strong enough force. The clones can also disperse on their own, or be dispelled by the user of the technique. (Source: Naruto Wiki)

 **Wind Release Great Breakthrough (風遁・突破)-** If used by a superior shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall can blow away all things in the user's line of sight. The technique can also be used in the form of a devastation stream of wind expelled from the user's mouth. (Source: Naruto Wiki)

 ** _Yamanaka Hana (_ やまなか花) _-_** is a flower shop in Konohagakure that is owned by the Yamanaka clan, which has been in business since the First Hokage's era. (Source: Naruto Wiki)

 **Tsundere-** Is s a slang born on the Internet, and it is a word to describe the nature of female anime or game characters. Tsundere is a word combining two words, "Tsun Tsun" and "Dere Dere". Both terms describe attitudes of a person. "Tsun Tsun" is used for cold/blunt/curt attitude, while "Dere Dere" is used when a person becomes spoony in front of his/her lover. (Source: Urban Dictionary)

* * *

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

A/N: Who wouldn't want a dashing youthful hero protecting their streets?

Aaaaanyway, you guys like the Omake? I've always pictured most of the cast in tighty whities! Tell me your thoughts and like always...

Reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~

Laters!


	9. A Forgotten Feeling

Hiya!

A/N: So first off I want to warn you all that this chapter is a bit shorter than what I normally do, of course this was intentional seeing as this chapter sort of leaves off from where the previous chapter ended and was meant to act as a extra filler that I didn't have room for in the last chapter.

But never fear! There are two more chapters until the team selections, one of which includes an interlude, so expect those sometime in the next week or two.

Again thanks to **CherryBerry12** for the beta!

Now, on with it!

* * *

"There are only two paths you can choose. You can sit quietly and be selected out of this world, or you can adapt and change."

 _\- Gai Tsutsugami (Guilty Crown)_

* * *

 **Chapter Eight: A Forgotten Feeling**

I seated myself on top of the Hokage Mountain, eating a cup of miso ramen as my thoughts drifted. Graduation was coming up. I had worked hard and struggled to get where I was, and yet strangely I felt nothing but emptiness inside, a hole which could not be filled no matter how many achievements I had or cups of ramen I ate.

What was wrong with me? I was one step closer to securing a safer and more stable future and yet…

I took another bite, the feeling continuing to gnaw at me as I absently stared out towards the horizon of the village, towards destiny. From where I was sitting on the head of the Sandaime, I could see the sun begin to fall and set on Konoha, swallowing it in a shawl of darkness.

I sighed, draining the last of the ramen and tossing the cup down the mountain. "Maybe there really is something wrong with me." I muttered, staring off into the distance.

"There you are!" A cheerful voice rose up behind me. My annoyed expression melted into a look of only slight discomfort as two arms wrapped themselves around me tenderly and a chin plopped itself on top of my head. "We've been looking everywhere for you, Hime." Yuugao chided as she cradled me in her arms like a lost puppy.

"Where've you been?" Hayate asked, arriving seconds later, his face flushed.

 _Had they really spent the day looking for me?_

I gave a small smile. "Here, there, everywhere." I said dryly, shrugging, hoping they'd let it go and be done with it.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Hayate leered. "When you didn't show up at the training ground, Yuugao nearly wrecked the village searching for you!"

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Oh...I knew I was forgetting something today."

Yuugao smirked, eyes crinkled. "Ne, you gave Hayate-kun a pretty good scare. I mean, you should have seen him, Hime, calling out your name like a worried mother goose. Kiyohime! Kiyohime! Where are you, Kiyohime!?" She pressed a hand to her forehead, tilting her head back in a dramatic rendering of Hayate's panic voice. "He was a wreck!"

Hayate sputtered. "I-I was not!" He growled stubbornly, marching over to us before plopping down with a childish huff as Yuugao slid him a sly look he refused to acknowledge.

I sighed, cozying up to Yuugao who had positioned herself so that she could greedily scoop up my warmth and sit unhampered, cross legged on the ground as I nestled further into her cuddle. "Gomen…something came up." I apologized half-heartedly, in a tone without any real sincerity.

I couldn't tell if they noticed something was off, but they didn't pry any further.

Yuugao pressed closer, nuzzling her nose into the back of my neck. "Don't sweat it, just make sure you tell us next time, ok?"

I nod, swallowing the sentiments that were chipping away at my insides one after another.

There was a distinct pause after this as the wind picked up and we watched the last brief rays of sunlight disappear over the distance. "So what's bugging you?" Hayate started, his tone soft and unassuming, in complete contradiction to his usual sarcasm and cynicism.

I glanced at him, a lie at the tip of my tongue. It would be easier this way, much less taxing to put on a facade, a sweet gimmick to put both their troubled minds at bay.

I couldn't allow myself to drag others into my insecurities, my bottomless pit of worries. I had to draw the line somewhere and what better time than now? Hayate and Yuugao were special. They were the glue that kept me together, that kept me from snapping and doing something rash and stupid.

 _If I lost them, then I'd be…_

"Breathe, Hime." Yuugao cooed softly into my ear, caressing my back and pressing me closer as I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Hayate looked concerned.

I gritted my teeth. And that's all you've ever made them do: worry. I berated myself, clenching and unclenching my fists. I can't keep doing this anymore, this can't go on.

So I parted my lips, pushing back all my despondencies and for once, told the truth. "I'm graduating," I said, as neutral as I could manage. I turned away so that I wouldn't have to see their pitying wide-eyed stares, or let them see the scared rattled four year old girl breaking through the cell I constructed for her so many years ago.

Yuugao held me tighter. "How soon?" She asked gently, running her fingers through my hair.

I closed my eyes, taking comfort in this fleeting contact. "Three months." I say, barely above a whisper.

 _Three months until my life changes forever._

Hayate sighed. "Well...I guess there's nothing you can do about it, then."

My eyes widened. "What?"

Hayate smirked, leaning in to give my forehead a good thump. "Baka, stop overthinking things. What's done is done, there's no use worrying about what you could have done differently. All that matters now is what you plan to do next." He slouched back, resting his arms around his head. "You're the master of your own universe. Don't fear the future, Kiyohime, make it your own."

My lips curled, expression downcast. "That sounds scary." I remarked, slightly bitter.

Yuugao pulled me closer. "It doesn't have to be; just remember you're not alone." She puffed out her chest proudly, beaming with pride. "You'll always have me and Hayate to catch you whenever you trip or pull you up whenever you fall." She smiled. "So please, don't give up."

I felt something in my heart, not a pain, or the occasional ache I got whenever I thought of my old life. This was familiar, better, the kind of words I had been missing for so long.

I almost forgot what it felt like...

 _To be loved._

My eyes began to sting, and I quickly wiped my eyes. "Baka." I sniffed, rising to my feet. "Saying some sappy words on a day like today."

"Hime?" Yuugao frowned.

"Where's the cake, the music, the festivities? This princess is not pleased at all." I pouted, crossing my arms and turning my head, acting annoyed.

Hayate snorted as Yuugao shook her head, face scrunching up in shame. "Of course, forgive me your highness, how could I ever have forgotten? Please have mercy." She bowed her head.

I turned to Hayate, eyes narrowed at his deadpan expression before he sighed. "Yes, forgive me."

I gave a superior smirk. "Of course, what type of ruler would I be if I didn't show my subjects mercy?"

Hayate scowled as Yuugao giggled.

"So you two..." I gave a genuine smile. "What do you want to do?"

* * *

OKAME #2

 _A Fate Stay Night-Naruto: Cross Over Event_

 _A Princess's Yellow Knight._

* * *

"Wakey-wakey Hime, breakfast is ready."

Illyasviel von Einzbern cracked her eyes open, bleariness clogging her vision. She frowned, snuggling deeper into her bed sheets. "Five more minutes," She muttered tiredly, placing the covers further over her head.

The voice hummed, clearly amused at his master's behavior. "Well, it's your choice, I guess I'll just serve your portion of my special extra chocolate chip waffles to Sella and Leysritt." He sighed, feigning his exit out the room.

Illya's eyes popped open, all pretenses of sleep abandoned as she stumbled out of bed. "No! Wait! Let go of my eggo!" Illya cried, turning toward her servant with wide crimson eyes and frazzled white bed hair, only managing to take a few steps before becoming entangled in her own blankets and falling flat on her face. "Owie."

Her servant gave a rueful smile. "Are you alright, Hime?" He asked softly, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

The girl was not amused, her eyes clearly annoyed, narrowed, sending a chill through the servant despite his master's childlike appearance. "You tricked me, Berserker." Illya grumbled, trying to unwrap herself from her cocoon.

"I like to think of it as a mild incentive. Now hurry up and get dressed. You wouldn't want your food to get cold now, would you?" Bright blue eyes shone with kindness.

Illya blushed, still unused to her servant and his outlandish behavior.

It had been two months since she had summoned him, right before the Fifth Holy Grail War started. She wanted to summon the legendary hero Heracles for his vast strength and nine lives, in the servant class of Berserker so she could exert full control over him.

Instead she got him.

It came out as a virtual shock for everyone, especially her grandfather who went through all the hassle of obtaining a relic to summon the Greek deity. He was furious.

Illya smiled at that particular memory.

Because, like a shining knight, he had appeared with his spiky yellow hair and baby blue eyes, a sparkling headband tied around his head and a short sleeved white haori decorated in red flames-like motifs edges, with the kanji words for _Fourth Fire Shadow_ written vertically down his back.

His personality had been the most surprising part. He had been summoned under the class of Berserker, and yet he hadn't succumbed to the state of utter madness characteristic of the class.

He was polite and sane...or so it seemed.

He introduced himself as Namikaze Minato, The Yondaime Hokage of some place called Konohagakure, a village where he supposedly ruled as an all-powerful dictator of sorts in an alternate world where society was dictated by ninja.

It sounded far-fetched, but in Illya's mind a servant was a servant and she had the command seals to show for it and with much reluctance her grandfather agreed.

Sadly, he didn't have super strength or an ultimate healing factor, but what he did have made up for all his inadequacies.

Speed.

He called it a Flying Raijin and it made him go fast, incredibly fast, so fast that by the time you blinked your head would be rolling off your neck.

Illya giggled at this, letting her chuckles silently morph into a dark grin.

 _It's nearly time. I can't wait to finally meet you onii-chan._

"Hime, are you coming?" Minato called from downstairs.

"Y-yeah in a minute." Ilya grunted, struggling to get loose from her blanket roll.

 _Right after I escape from this accursed death trap!_

* * *

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

Reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~


	10. Blowing Out the Candles

Finally!

Sorry, for the wait, but it's done and the interlude is not to far behind, until we hit the juicy bits of the story.

As always a great many thanks to my beta **CherryBerry12** for going through this! Praise be to you!

* * *

The past makes you wanna die out of regret and the future makes you depressed out of anxiety. So by elimination, the present is likely the happiest time.

 _~ Hikigaya Hachiman (Oregairu)_

* * *

 **Chapter Nine: Blowing Out the Candles**

It took exactly a week for Inoichi to introduce me to Ino, though if his expression was anything to go by, it had cost him an arm and a leg to drag her here.

Now I'll be the first to admit, despite my initial reluctance and annoyance towards the whole thing, there was a small part of me that respected Inoichi for his efforts in trying to cheer up his daughter.

The other part of me, well...

"Dad, I don't want to do this!"

"Ino, please give it a chance. Kiyohime-chan is a sweet girl. I bet you two will get along great."

Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived at the park, only to spot the duo in what I could only describe as a tense standoff, where neither side appeared willing to back down.

"That's exactly what you said about lazy Shikamaru and porky Chouji! I hate this! I don't want your help making friends!"

"Young Lady..."

I rolled my eyes, deciding now would be the best time to meddle in their little spat, despite how amusing it was.

Guiding my way into the open and towards their line of sight, I smiled warmly at the two, bowing cordially. "Gomen, Yamanaka-sama."

Inoichi grinned widely, placing a hand on top of Ino's shoulders to keep her from bolting.

"Ah Kiyohime!" He exclaimed, his face positively glowing. "Didn't I say it was alright to call me Inoichi?"

I nodded, but didn't correct myself, rather turning to face the platinum blonde whose pale blue-green eyes were shooting me daggers. "Mn, I'm guessing that this is Ino-chan?" I asked politely, sticking out my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Kiyohime."

Ino didn't return the greeting, preferring to glare at the ground heatedly and continue ignoring my existence.

My smile strained and Inoichi's thinned.

"Ino." Inoichi warned pointedly, nudging her in the back.

"Pcht." Ino crossed her arms and scoffed, ultimately taking a step in front of Inoichi with gritted teeth. "Yamanaka Ino."

The conversation quickly devolved into an awkward silence with Inoichi rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, unsure of how to proceed.

I sighed. Of course, I was well aware that Ino would never openly accept me as anything close to a friend. Children were highly volatile and prone to uneasiness if placed in unsuspecting situations…

In Ino's case, this would probably be even more trouble than normal. Having just lost a friend over a boy was the equivalent of having a knife thrust through your back.

Tossing another friend at her at a crucial time where her trust was less likely to be handed out freely was bound to have the opposite effect than what her father intended.

All we could do was take it one step at a time.

"Hey Ino, do you like shopping?" I asked with an awkward smile, trying to draw her in.

Ino gave me a suspicious look.

"What's it to you?" She snapped rudely, crossing her arms immaturely.

"Aaa." I said with a hint of amusement. "Well I heard that some of the villages boutiques were having sales today."

Ino's resolve wavered. "You don't say..." She muttered.

I nodded with an amused expression as I turned to Inoichi. "And I believe that Yamanaka-sama would be more than happy to cover the expense if we decided to go."

Inoichi's face paled remarkably at the thought of footing the bill for such a spree, but he loved his daughter, maybe too much for his own good.

"Of course.." Inoichi replied with a wary smile.

Finally, the last of her willpower seemed to crumble completely.

"Then come on then!" Ino demanded, wrapping a hand around my wrist and yanking me along with Inoichi trailing behind us. "Let's make one thing clear, we're not friends got it! I just need someone to help me try on clothes and he certainly can't do that!" Ino narrowed her eyes, daring me to contradict her.

"Hmm-mm." I agreed with a hum, ignoring the way Ino's bangs hid a small blush that lit up her cheeks. I guess she was embarrassed. I nearly snorted.

Baby steps, Kiyohime, baby steps.

* * *

3 weeks Later

* * *

"A jutsu?"

I nodded forcefully, looking a bit embarrassed as Hayate gave me a not so subtle look. "Hai, I thought it would be good if I had more in my arsenal." I twiddled my thumbs. "So are you going to help me or not?"

Hayate sighed. "Sorry, the Hokage assigned me a mission outside the village." He scratched the back of his messy hair absentmindedly. "So I'm going to be busy with a few...things." He said, deliberately drawing his gaze from me.

I titled my head to the side, venturing forward with curiosity. "Stuff?"

He poked my forehead, causing me to flinch. "Grown up stuff." He clarified with a smirk. "Besides, didn't Yuugao already help you with that?" Pointing out my hidden notebook of dark secrets.

I puffed out my cheeks, rubbing my brows irately. "That doesn't count!" I cried, exasperated, as I pulled at his sleeves. "Come on Hayate!" I whined. "There's got to be something you can teach me! You just gotta!"

Hayate scowled, carefully prying my fingers loose from him, as he rubbed his cheekbones. "Okay, okay, geez, you're like a tick, you know that?"

I shrugged, unrepentant, a smile tugging at my lips. "I know." I admitted, smirking victoriously. "But I'm your tick."

Hayate shook his in disbelief. "Unbelievable." He grunted as he took a long insufferable breath to regather his bearings.

"Fine then, let's start with something basic." He said evenly, giving off the impression that this was far from how he wanted his day to go. "What do you know about kenjutsu?" He asked whimsically, detaching the sword strapped to his back.

I hummed. "I know it pertains to techniques and jutsu with swords and can be used to deal even more devastating damage to an opponent. It is regarded as a branch of bukijutsu, a ninja's use of weaponry in combat." I rattled off, fully aware that I was being a total smart-ass, but was duly satisfied when I got a subtle eyebrow raise from Hayate.

He was impressed.

"Then you'll also know that there are many styles associated with the art form." He commented, tossing the sheathed blade at me as I barely managed to register it being thrown and staggering to catch it as I buckled under its weight.

I stared at him incredulously. "So there's more to it than just swinging your sword around. "I gasped in mock awe, struggling to keep the blade leveled.

God, why was it so heavy?!

"Ahem." He continued, clearing his throat. "As I was saying, with kenjutsu you're going to learn that not every enemy is the same and their abilities may vary depending on who you encounter." His gaze hardened, "With that being said, you won't always be able to fight fire with fire, trying to overload yourself with a bunch of fancy offensive techniques when you don't know the face of the enemy. That will only lead to failure, and death."

I huffed, getting impatient. "So what's your point?"

Hayate sighed, clearly not having thought this thing through. "My point-" He stressed. "Is that in order to have some chance of leaving the village and not returning as a pile of worm food, you need a better defense than offense." He explained.

"And you think me learning Kenjutsu is the surefire way to achieve that?" I said dryly, having just surrendered Hayate's overgrown stick to the mercy of the harsh cold floor.

"I know it is." His mouth twitched at my blatant dismissal of his most prized possession. "Not many are aware of this, but swordsmanship can be used for more than taking a life." He bent down to pick up his sword. "It can also be used to protect someone or something precious to you if taught correctly."

"So who taught you?"

Hayate paused. "My mother." His lips thinned into a half weary smile that was anything, but sincere. "In any case, how about we start with the basics."

I frowned over his words, but nodded. It was best not to reopen an already closed wound. "What did you have in mind?"

"Mm, I'm well acquainted with a blacksmith in the village and he may be willing to craft you a decent dull blade to get you started." Hayate began slowly as he watched me carefully. "I can place the order and have you pick it up, but as I said before, I have a mission, so I won't have the time to train you."

I opened my mouth to protest.

"However." He pressed on, "I do know someone who happens to know a thing or two about swordplay, if you want I can ask him to take you on as a student." Hayate responded curtly.

"So it won't be Yuugao." I replied hopefully.

"No, generally I'd leave it up to her to reel you in." He conveyed, much to my irritation. "But as it is, we're both in a tricky situation and will be out of the village for some time."

"Let me guess, grown up stuff." I said in monotone, not even trying to find out what they were hiding from me.

"You're catching on fast." Hayate mused, reaching and ruffling the top of my head. "For now, I'll teach you something simple, that will be more susceptible to you, then any second rate kill move."

My mood brightened tremendously. "What is it?" I asked eagerly.

Hayate's smile became even more complacent. "Ever heard of the transparency jutsu?"

* * *

1 Month Later

* * *

"Hinata, is everything okay?" I asked as we stepped out from the front doors of the Academy as her eyes once again frosted over, lost in her own sea of thoughts-an act which had become more and more apparent throughout the day.

She blinked, turning towards me with a soft reassuring smile that I knew was entirely fabricated. "Of course, why would you ask?" Her face flushing when I stared at her, eyes narrowing.

"Because you've been slipping in and out of it, more and more all day." I frowned. "Did something happen?" I was well aware of the circumstances Hinata had at home. Though she never outwardly expressed it, it was quite clear that the stress the clan placed on her was taking its toll.

All for a title she never wanted and could never live up to.

Hinata turned away and I sighed as we slowly made our way through the village, each carrying a box of leftovers from a new tea shop that had recently opened.

Hinata's lips thinned, clutching the bag in her fingers. "It's nothing for you to worry about." She avoided my gaze, staring off at the ground with a weariness that no child should ever have to possess.

I immediately scowled, reaching over and gripping the girl by the wrist in one quick swoop. She gasped and tried to wrench herself free, which only caused me to strengthen my hold.

"Don't." I snapped, a stern expression overtaking my face. Hinata flinched, clearly not having expected such a reaction out of me and submitted, arms slackening and face downcast.

The occasional background chattering of children acted as a buffer to any awkward tension that may have occurred.

Hinata's bangs hid her expression from me, her shoulders contracting into themselves as her facade began to crack.

I sighed, easing my grip. "Hinata-san." I say carefully, ignoring the way she tensed at my words. "Are you okay?" I ask and watch for any semblance of the girl I knew, even if it was the submissive mask she wore, whenever she was around her fellow clansmen and father.

-I'm..." She started, choking on her own emotions, face crinkling, as her eyes began to glisten.

I sighed, realizing that this wasn't the best place to do this and pulled the emotionally fragile girl along, watching as her breathing hitched and she began to openly sob.

I shuddered, dealing with children was one thing as they were typically optimistic and gullible to anything you said to them. Crying children... Well, that was a whole other deal.

I sat Hinata down under a tree far away from any onlookers and waited for her fit to subside.

"-G-Gomen Kiyohime." She hiccupped, breathing in and out until it returned to normal.

I shrugged. "No problem. Now, what's been bugging you?" I asked, seating myself next to the Hyuuga girl.

Hinata brought a knee to her chest and gulped. "I-It's...mother." She whispered.

I lifted my head up, slightly surprised. "Did something happen?" I replied, carefully.

Hinata tensed and I was almost afraid she'd start crying again. "N-No...It's just that..s-she's...pregnant."

My eyes widened, like a deer caught in a headlight. "I see." I said slowly. "And how does that make you feel exactly?"

Hinata's small shoulders slackened, "I'm happy, I am..." She said in a small voice. "But also sad, I-I don't want to lose mother." She admitted, turning towards me with puffy red eyes. "Does that make me a bad person?"

I sighed, reaching over and awkwardly petting Hinata's head. "No it doesn't. Listen Hinata, there are things in this world that are beyond our control. This baby is a prime example of that, and sometimes we just gotta adapt. "

"Adapt?" Hinata glance at me through teary lashes. "How?"

I looked at her seriously. "You have to overcome the problem-even if it takes years. Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." I restrained a smirk.

Hinata giggled and I resisted the urge to pet her again.

She looked so much like an adorable kitten.

"So, ready to go home?"

* * *

1 weeks later

* * *

Early graduation was only two weeks away and so far I was proud of my accomplishment. Though I was still working hard, I found myself making time for other people. For tactical reasons, I told myself.

I walked through the village until I reached my destination-the Yamanaka compound.

It smelled of the wholesome fresh flowers they were so well known for. I smiled at that thought as I walk to the front door of the main house and knocked.

In moments, the door swings wide-open with ferocity as Ino gives me one of her annoyed looks, telling me that I screwed up.

"You're late." She growled.

I had the nerve to look somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry, I lost track of time."

"Hn. You're sure lucky you're cute!" Ino snapped. "Come on, dad's already got dinner started."

I beamed. "What are we having?"

* * *

 _'Happy Birthday'_

 _\- Wishing you a birthday as bright as your smile!_

 ** _(PS: Sorry we couldn't be there in person) - Yuugao_**

* * *

 _'Happy Birthday'_

 _Here's to you squirt._

 ** _(PS: Try not to die before we get back.) - Hayate_**

* * *

 _'Happy Birthday'_

 _\- I wish you all the best and hope all your birthday dreams and wishes come true!'_

 ** _\- Hinata_**

* * *

 _'Happy B-Day'_

 _Here's to another year of that wonderful-crazy-amazing thing called life! Eat it up!_

 ** _\- Ino_**

* * *

 _'Happy Birthday'_

 _I wish you every happiness your heart can hold! Best wishes on your special day!_

 ** _\- Yamanaka Inoichi_**

* * *

 _'Happy Birth Day'_

 _\- Today is your day! Do everything you love. Smile big and laugh loud. I hope your birthday is filled with delight and joy!_

 ** _\- Hyuuga Hiromi_**

* * *

 _'Happy Birthday'_

 _May you have success and happiness in all you do. Happy 5th Birthday Kiyohime._

 ** _\- Kanpu_**

* * *

2 weeks Later

* * *

"Kiyohime." Tomo-Sensei gave me a faint nod as I entered the examination room.

 _'It's now or never.'_ I thought, as I built up my chakra and formed the first hand sign.

* * *

 **Kenjutsu** **(剣術, _Literally meaning:_ Sword Technique) - **Pertains to techniques that entail the use of swords, whether the users be shinobi, or samurai. Kenjutsu can be used in combination with taijutsu, ninjutsu, fūinjutsu, chakra flow and even genjutsuin order to achieve more devastating techniques. It is regarded as a branch of bukijutsu.

 **Transparency Jutsu (** **透遁術) -** The technique is shown to render the user invisible, allowing them to either make stealthy strikes on their opponent or escape from the opponent's sight.

* * *

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

So as always, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~ See ya laters!


	11. Interlude

I'm back and this time with an interlude!

And of course again beta'ed by the lovely **CherryBerry12!**

 **Interlude**

* * *

 _Interlude - Anbu Cat_

* * *

If you were to ask any of her colleagues on Team Ro, they would describe Cat as someone who put her all into whatever she did. You had to if you ever hoped to survive in their line of work. All the same, she enjoyed what she did and she was pretty good at it too. It made for some great stories when she'd go out drinking with her friends.

"Konoha scum!" The Kusagakure missing-nin all but snarled, taking another ferocious swipe at her head with his katana, only to once again come up empty as she parried it with her own dull blade.

It was perhaps the fifth...no, sixth time that this particular enemy had insulted her, and it was starting to get a little annoying. But she did kill a few of his buddies early on when her team first ambushed them, so she guessed she could let it slide. He was about die soon anyways.

Taking a quick glance at her surroundings, Cat noted her team was steadily mopping up the last remnants of the rogue splinter cell they had been assigned to take out.

Apparently, these guys had made it their personal business to disrupt multiple trade routes along the border of the Land of Fire, which in turn made a lot of very rich and very stressed merchants angry, which in turn led to the Daimyo sending a letter to the Hokage demanding the problem be dealt with quickly.

So here she was, killing a bunch of upstarts who thought it would be a phenomenal idea to mess with the revenue of one of the five great nations and not expect some kind of reprisal.

No…just no.

What made it worse was she was missing the graduation of one little girl who had more or less captured her attention for the past several months. Kiyohime. It was a bizarre encounter even by shinobi standards. Hell, even by Anbu's. The girl was different, frighteningly so. At times she would behave as an ordinary child would, asking innocent questions out of childish curiosity, then other times saying the strangest things that had Cat scratching her head.

Why she would she think that the Sandaime was a pervert–had she heard the rumors…?

But she was getting off track. The girl was a mystery, beside her weird quirks and strange appearance she had committed some extraordinary feats and could speak with a level of maturity that she in no way, shape, or form should have possessed. It was a sad thing to see when a child's eyes held a seriousness far beyond their years.

It was one of the key reasons why she had taken it upon herself to train her. Like Kiyohime, Cat knew what it was like not to have a family and what that loneliness could do to a person.

She didn't want that for Kiyohime or anyone else.

Her train of thought was cut short when a high-pitched chirping brought her back to the present.

 _'Ah, it seems that Dog-Senpai means to end this early.'_ Cat mused with a hidden smirk, ducking short of having her eyes skewed. _'I guess I shouldn't mess around._ '

"Die you Leaf bit-hrrk!" The Kusa-nin started before his eyes bulged and he collapsed to the floor, clutching the widening gash across his neck.

Cat nonchalantly wiped the blood from her sword on the grass, giving a mocking leer even though the mask hid any facial features.

"Bye-bye." Cat waved, giving the Kusa-nin a light send-off as the color drained from his face and his eyes lost their shine.

Cat simply stared blankly at the corpse, before shrugging and sprinting off to join the rest of her team.

* * *

 _Interlude - Capturing the Moments we Share_

* * *

There were some perks that came with being the Hyuuga matriarch. Respect was one of them, yes, but with that respect came power. Now Hiromi Hyuuga never savored flaunting her status, in her mind she was a Hyuuga, no different from the rest of her family. But it did come in handy when it came to forcing people to do things they normally wouldn't dream of doing. Like taking overly-sentimental photos.

"Hold still." Hiromi smiled, holding a camera to her face as she directed it at her daughter and Hebi-chan (they were so cute together!) who were both dressed in traditional yukata and red as tomatoes.

Ever since Hinata met Kiyohime, Hiromi had begun to notice a subtle change in her daughter's demeanor. She was still timid, but her confidence had slowly begun to build. She'd like to think that, in her own way, her little Hina-chan was finally beginning to bloom into the stunning flower she'd always knew she could be.

All she needed was a boost of confidence. "Smile." Hiromi ordered with a dark chuckle as she snapped the button.

This one was definitely going up on the fridge.

* * *

 _Interlude - A God of Shinobi_

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen has been called many things throughout his life – To his people he was the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure. To those he taught and trained he was the Professor, one who had mastered the way of the shinobi and with it over a thousand different jutsu. And to his enemies he was both hailed and feared as a God of Shinobi for his prowess on the battlefield.

The Old Monkey Sarutobi has lived a life filled with successes, but one also topped with regrets. For all his feats of grandeur Hiruzen could not help but wither under the weight of his all failings. As Hokage he'd had to make many hard decisions and compromises for the good of his village.

Sacrifices that have led to sleepless nights and lingering regrets. It was one of the few reasons why he tossed most of his responsibilities off onto his old friend, Shimura - to balance his shortcomings.

Yes, Hiruzen was flawed, he wouldn't deny that he'd failed too many times. But he was also a shinobi, he'd endure, for the sake of Konoha he'd bear the burden of being Hokage, and continue protecting the great tree, at least until he groomed a worthy successor.

Lately, his thoughts have been drifting to one little girl whose achievements have sparked the attention of more than just a few people.

Kiyohime – an orphan with no special traits or family background, who by some odd twist of fate managed to befriend not one, but two clan heiresses. She was intelligent, he'd give her that, a part of him, the one that he time and time again tried to repress, reminded him that she was his child. Her eyes were similar to his, they held a look of hidden ambition.

Initially he had been privy to the child's upbringing, routinely making it a point to stop by the orphanage if not to quell his own insecurities when he wasn't checking up on a certain blond haired jinchuuriki.

That's when he came to learn that the girl had somehow roped in two of his shinobi to train her. Gekkou Hayate and Uzuki Yuugao, two of his finer subordinates, had become rather fond of the child. So naturally he had no reason to interfere-he could even see how working with a younger shinobi would benefit the two. It was reassuring, in a way, to know they could keep the girl from straying too far.

Something he realized, many years too late, was that he failed to do this for his own wayward student.

But the Sandaime was nothing if not diligent and would hold off judgement until he saw how things progressed.

After all, the child was graduating soon and Shimura has been pushing harder lately for him to hand the girl over to him due to her curious heritage. Not that he'd allow such a thing...at least not yet. The old war hawk only wanted a new weapon, something that the Hokage was less inclined to give him.

He had plans for the girl and it would be in everyone's best interest if she received positive guidance-and it just so happened that he'd already found a teacher willing to take her. Hopefully this didn't come back to bite him.

"More paper-work Hokage-sama."

The Hokage pinched the bridge of his nose to clear his thoughts. It was nearly midnight and the stack of papers on his desk wasn't getting any smaller.

He sighed. Another sleepless night.

Such was the life of a Kage.

* * *

 _Interlude - Taking on Bigger Responsibilities_

* * *

Anko was screwed. At least that's what she kept telling herself as she read and reread the letter that had come this morning requesting that she report to the Hokage tower effective immediately tomorrow for team placement.

Being a tokubetsu jōnin, Anko was indeed a highly skilled kunoichi. Even as a child her talent had caught the attention of one of the legendary Sannin (albeit a rogue psychopathic one, with whom she had an axe to grind) but a Sannin all the same. Now the Sandaime wanted her to take on her own students - children!

Has the old man become senile? She was as irresponsible as they came and then some! She'd eat those kids alive!

She groaned, slamming her head onto the bar counter. She was doomed!

* * *

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

 **A/N:** Hopefully you enjoyed this. I had a lot of fun writing it and even greater fun writing the drafts for the next few chapters to come. Again thanks for the reviews and for sticking by this story for as long as you have. Seeing your comments really does bring a smile to my face :)

And once again as always and forever more...Reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~ Are encouraged and appreciated!


	12. Bring it On

beta'd by **CherryBerry12**

* * *

"It's just pathetic to give up on something before you even give it a shot. **"**

 _~ Reiko Mikami (Another)_

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Bring it on**

 _Interlude - The Pervy Sage_

* * *

It may have looked bad and he'd admit some part of him knew it was. Spying on the women's bath wasn't exactly what he had planned when he came to this particular village, but Jiraiya couldn't complain. It was a fun hobby of his, one he fully relished when he wasn't gathering Intel or warding off any of the foreign ninja after the bounty on his head.

He certainly could act the part of a joker well, making light-hearted and gregarious remarks at his own expense and giving a mirthful laugh afterwards in his interactions with others. Not to mention adding a bout of self-centeredness and smugness to everything he did, helping to rile up the people he came across, especially those who wanted to kill him.

It was all almost worth it when they saw how insanely strong he was once he pulled out a flashy, over-the-top jutsu.

At times like that he would sometimes reminisce on his youth. A toad in Ame country, fighting in a gritty war alongside a snake, and a Slug Princess. Perhaps it was there he had resolved to find a solution to all this carnage, to the endless cycle of war that pitted nation against nation, sacking entire cities and leaving slaughtered villages in their wake.

The child of prophecy, foretold by the Great Toad Sage, was destined be a student of his, a great ninja who would usher in a great change to the world. Whether it was its salvation or destruction had yet to be determined – _Geez,_ why did the Old Toad's visions always have to be so vague?

In any case, he had trained two students in his life. Both were young and idealistic, both had something they yearned to protect with all their strength and both were as close to sons he'd ever get.

…Tragically they _both_ died.

But one was able to leave behind a legacy, a child, named out of respect for one of his teacher's failed books.

Ah, Minato.

Maybe after this trip he'd swing by to take a quick peek at the kid. It's been far too long since he was home.

"Eeh! A pervert!"

 _Whoops…_

A feminine scream cut through his musings and at that moment Jiraiya did what he always did in this given situation.

He ran like hell.

* * *

 _Interlude - A Snake Sannin_

* * *

A monster.

That's what they called him and that's all he'd ever be in their eyes. It hadn't mattered when he was a shinobi and it didn't matter now that he was a rogue ninja. His circumstances never changed, and he doubted they ever would.

He was seen as evil by his enemies, a traitor by his friends. Often described as twisted and deluded - little more than a killer.

What fools.

He'd often curse their naivety, sneer at their ambiguity, and laugh at their morals.

Hypocrites! That's all they were.

Sheep confined to a fence that was called a village that promised a false sense of security from the wolves that lurked just beyond its borders.

How could a society built on the sweat and blood of another speak of virtues? How could one act of murder be condemned while another praised?

So what if he had taken the lives of fellow nin? Was it really no different from how their lives would have ended? If not by his hands then surely another's.

He hated them.

The ones who had betrayed him and reduced him to what he was now. At one time, before the madness set in and obsession took over, he may have thought of them as more, as family…

Not anymore, never again.

In the end it all turned out to be a ruse, a tranquil dream that slowly descended into a nightmare, destroying the last decent shred of his humanity as he became what they feared.

His sensei.

His teammates.

His village.

All would pay.

All would burn.

All would vanish.

 _And his child would make it so._

* * *

 _Interlude - The Shinobi of Darkness_

* * *

He was darkness, unmitigated darkness – The embodiment of what shinobi were capable of and the depths they'd sink to in order to fulfill their ambitions. And like a fine glass of aged wine, Shimura Danzou accepted his role wholeheartedly.

Understanding its necessity and eradicating the root causes of danger that posed a threat to the stability of the great tree and its blossoming leaves – convincing himself that the act of spilling the blood of a minor few for Konoha's benefit was a trivial price to pay, an end justified by the means at hand, was easy.

Indeed, Danzou adhered to only one belief – the safety and protection of his village above all else, no matter the methods that had to be undertaken.

To achieve absolute security he wanted to be Hokage – no, he needed and would be Hokage.

For years he'd sat patiently, idly biding his time in the shadows, waiting for the ample opportunity to take the seat he so richly deserved from that weak fool Hiruzen.

The old teammates had never been known to be on the same page, constantly at odds over how the village should function, and in recent years the relationship between the former rivals had only grown increasingly sour since the Old Monkey returned to power after the inconvenient death of his successor.

Danzou was livid, adamant that Konoha would not survive under such an indecisive leader, and all his effort would inevitably unravel if things continued as they were.

Yet as fate would have it, perhaps he would find a solution to his problems?

It was not too long ago that one of his many Root subordinates reported to him with documents pertaining to potential raw recruits from this year's academy roster – mainly civilians and some prominent and minor clans that posed interesting enough to take note of and plan potential prospects of conscription.

What was most striking about this year's batch however, was hard to miss at first glance - a profile alongside a photo of one girl, a child honestly, with such features and makeup so similar to that of one particular man that Danzou nearly laughed at the fortune he was bestowed.

Where better to hide something that you wished not to be seen than in plain sight?

Perhaps Sarutobi wasn't the naïve fool he pegged him out to be.

The product of the Hokage's greatest failure was sitting right beneath the intrigued gaze of the old war hawk and it would be quite imprudent if he didn't take full advantage of that fact.

So within his throne of darkness, centered below the village he vowed to safeguard, Danzou planned. Formulating a number of methods to sway the girl to his side without raising suspicion.

She was special, but nothing all too noteworthy compared to the countless other prodigies he'd witnessed. Still, the potential was there.

The child was intelligent but inexperienced, easy to manipulate and bend to his will, like a blank canvas without an artist – a task Danzou was all too happy to take up for himself.

She had the prospect to be something extraordinary and Danzou desired that power for his own.

After much reflection and debating, an idea formed, a risky one that may pose fruitful if successful.

The girl would soon be assigned a team, so surely she'd place her trust within the hands of her new comrades?

With a satisfied smirk Danzou began his preparations, ever diligent to assure that not a speck was found that lead back to grisly affairs.

On his desk, marked in bold letters at the very bottom of the paper were the words, **HIGH PRIORITY, POTENTIAL RECRUIT - KIYOHIME**

 _And thus, the first brush of dye was cast on the blank sheet, a stain as black and tainted as a bitter night._

* * *

"C-Congratulations on passing."

Hinata murmured, arms crossed elegantly in front of her with bright lavender orbs staring off at the road ahead and the fading sunlight streaming across the sky. The Hyuuga had met me outside after I completed the exam and donned the accursed head protector – the very one that refused to stay on.

"It's too big." I scowled, breathing out a grunt when it once again came undone, no matter how many times I tightened it. "Why do we even have to wear these stupid things anyways?

Hinata let out a small gasp, eyes wide in as if she was witnessing blasphemy. "Kiyohime!"

I crossed my arms and folded in on myself, deciding to drape the clothed band around my neck until something could be done. "Well it's the truth. What kind of ninja wears symbols of where they're from on their forehead? Isn't that completely contradictory to the whole silent killers of the night theme?"

Hinata frowned in disappointment. "It's tradition! It's an honorable part of your attire and should be worn at all times."

I gave her a dry look filled with pity - You poor, poor, brainwashed child.

At seeing my obvious disinterest, Hinata opened her mouth, a retort no doubt ready at her tongue, when a pair of arms suddenly and forcefully wrapped themselves around my waist and partially and not so gently, lifted me off the floor.

"You did it!" A familiar voice shouted, smothering me in a bear hug.

I barely registered Hinata's frantic cry and Ino's wolfish grin, before everything began to blur together.

"I-In-o...Y-our c-ho-oking...me…" I garbled, my eyelids rescinding back into my skull and I steadily began to lose feeling in all my limbs as the life drained out of me.

"Oops, sorry about that." The Yamanaka said, with a lack of empathy to her above average strength that was all too typical as she promptly dropped me to the ground with Hinata immediately came to my aid, frantically fretting over me. "I came to pick you up, but they said that you'd already left?"

I coughed, taking in as much air as possible as I tried to recover from my near death experience, with Hinata gently patting my back whilst glaring venomously at Ino, who remained completely oblivious.

"What for?" I asked, through jaded breaths.

The Yamanaka got an annoyed look, like she was speaking to an idiot. "For the dinner. At my house. That dad cooked. Remember?" She said, enunciating each word slowly, much to my irritation.

Despite our lax friendship, I sometimes found myself wondering why I became friends with the blonde.

 _Because her dad is a manipulative slimy salesman._

…Oh right.

The girl huffed and boldly marched over to drag me by the arm. "Whatever, let's just go."

Before I could get a word in edgewise, I instantly felt my other arm be tugged off in the opposite direction, Hinata's firm grip holding on defiantly.

"H-Hinata?" I stuttered questioningly, Ino simply glowered at the resistance.

"Who are you?' The blond asked crudely, finally looking at the Hyuuga.

Shockingly, Hinata did not falter under the gaze of the challenge, but grew more resilient, her face determined and resolve unwavering. "I could ask you the same. Kiyohime and I were just about to have a lovely supper at my home, until you rudely interrupted."

I blinked in surprise as Ino's lips set into a thin line, eyes narrowed. "Kiyo and I already made plans today, so just beat it!"

Hinata bristled at Ino's words, and I could see that the situation wouldn't settle by itself. I sighed.

"Listen guys – " Was all I managed to get out before being abruptly cut off when a ball of orange and yellow rammed into me, knocking me flat on my back and retching me from Ino's and Hinata's once unbreakable grip.

"Kiyohime!"

"Kiyo!"

I groaned when I hit the floor, brain rattled to the point where the world turned like one big-round-pinball-machine. In other words, it was a less than ideal place to be in.

"Owww…" a voice whined and despite sharing my exact sentiments, it didn't come from me, instead originating from the form that was sprawled on top of me in an awkward angle, a perpetual bright shade of blue orbs staring right back at me. "Hey! Watch where you're going, dattebayo!"

I only blinked in shock at the familiar annoying tick and merely stared back dumbfounded.

Somewhere inside me I had honestly forgotten about Uzumaki Naruto as he was never a constant in my life. Despite being in his world I rarely thought of him, or more so I tried to forget him and what his existence meant – But seeing him now, specifically on this day, made everything feel even more real.

"Naruto!" Ino sneered, pulling the blond off of me, (much to my relief) where she then proceeded to throttle him senseless. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"W-wait! What did I do?!" He asked, legitimately confused.

A small part of me sincerely felt bad about the manhandling he was receiving on my behalf… _almost._

Ino ignored his cries of distress and with an impressive bout of strength lifted him off his feet, over her shoulders and back on into the dirt, in a well-executed flip.

Naruto didn't get back up and Ino stood over her opponent triumphant. "So are you going to apologize?"

"F-For what?" The Uzumaki wheezed. The fight had all but left him.

Ino frowned, a tick appearing at her head. "For crashing into someone and not saying sorry!"

The boy flinched, picking himself back up, before a goofy grin formed on his face. "I'm sorry Ino-chan!"

I faltered and Ino looked anything except pleased as she quickly introduced her fist to top of the blond's head.

"Not to me, baka! To her!" Both turned to gaze towards me and I slowly began to feel a little self-conscious.

Naruto eyes looked puzzled as he actually took the time to gauge and dissect me, then almost unflinchingly his face light lit up. "Hey!" He said suddenly, his smile unwavering. "You're that weird girl!"

I visibly stiffened at the comment, a red tint forming on both sides of my cheeks. It was so unexpected and childish that it completely caught me off guard as it played into my earlier preconceptions about the boy – He was still a brat!

Ino pursed her lips and clenched her hands. "Naruto!"

The blond paled considerably. "H-Hold on! Let's just talk about this."

Remarkably, it wasn't Ino who landed the fatal blow.

In an act that was both out of character and astonishing at the same time, leaving me at a loss for words, Hinata, who by all accounts had remained silent throughout the proceeding event, landed in front of the blond and in a precise stroke, smashed a chakra infused palm into the boy.

I froze. I literally could not move. Too stunned at what I was seeing.

 _Hinata had attacked Naruto._

What. The. Fuck.

The Uzumaki's eyes widened in surprise, before glossing over white, his mouth agape as he collapsed in a heap, unconscious.

A beat of silence.

Ino broke it with a look of awe. "Epic."

I was more straightforward, placing a hand on the Hyuuga's shoulders. "Hinata?" I whispered softly.

I was getting concerned.

The girl turned to me with a smile, like nothing was amiss whatsoever. "Yes?"

I faltered for a moment, but quickly regained my bearing. "Uhm,"

"That was awesome!" Ino interrupted, latching onto Hinata's hands, with a glow to her demeanor. "You totally kicked that idiot's butt!"

Hinata's smile only grow wider. "He was being rude to Kiyohime. I couldn't just let that go." She said seriously.

I was disturbed; Ino was elated.

"Ha-ha, you're a riot!" Ino smirked, locking arms with the Hyuuga. "Hey, want to come to my house?"

"W-what?" Hinata flushed scarlet.

I facepalmed

* * *

"Are you leaving?" A voice spoke up, stopping me on my way out the door. Looking back, I was greeted by Kanpu's kind gaze as he observed me. "Kind of early, don't you think?"

I grinned. "Ah, whatever happened to the early bird catches the worm?" I chastised good-naturedly.

Kanpu smiled slightly at the phrasing and nodded, "Indeed. Still, why the rush? I thought team selections weren't until much later."

I shrugged. "Yeah, but I was going to head on over to the training ground to see if I could get in a little practice."

Kanpu frowned. "Do you think that's a good idea? I heard that some of the jounin-sensei like to include a second test to their exams."

"Don't worry! I won't exhaust myself. Besides, I have an ace up my sleeves." I said smugly.

"It wouldn't happen to involve that highly infectious and lethal stash of poisons you have stored under your mattress, would it?"

I turned away. "…Maybe."

Kanpu took a deep breath. "Where did you even get something like that?"

"Well it's an interesting story. It all started –"

Kanpu held out a hand. "On second thought…I don't want to know. Just make sure no one gets hurt."

I rolled my eyes, "I will make no such promise." Because word of mouth from a ninja was bullshit anyways.

"Why am I not surprised." He sighed tiredly.

I gave another trademark smile, brushing my hand out in a mock salute. "Well, I'm off."

"Try not to overdo it."

I gasp, overly offended. "When have I ever done such thing?"

"…"

He wasn't buying it, which was disappointing because I thought I had made a valid point.

"Well…later!" And without another word or giving the older man a chance to respond, I booked it down the street.

* * *

"…Maybe I did overdo it." I grumbled as I walked back from the training field and towards the academy with an array of scratches and singes marking me. Now I looked a mess, but I refused to go back home and change. I didn't want to give the old man the satisfaction of being right.

Turning a corner, I was met with an unusual sight: a boy who could not have been more than a few years older than myself with ash-gray hair was looking around, most likely lost by the look of slight aggravation on his face.

I continued on, passing the boy along the way, hoping to be ignored.

But as with most things, that did not play out.

"Excuse me."

I looked up into a pair of onyx eyes hidden by circular rimmed glasses.

"Huh?"

He gave an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his head in obvious embarrassment.

"I'm a little lost, mind giving me a hand?"

I titled my head, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He must have been an outsider, coming from one of the smaller villages surrounding Konoha, that or he was completely bad in directions. "Don't you know the way?"

Another strained smile. His cheeks reddened? "Uhmm, it's been awhile…since I've been in the village, that is."

He seemed to be telling the truth. I sighed. "Fine."

"Arigatou." He said, words genuine.

He followed me as I lead the way.

"Where are you heading?"

"The academy. I'm set to graduate today." He said, tonelessly. He didn't sound so enthusiastic.

"Aren't you a ray of sunshine?" I deadpanned.

He seemed caught off-guard by my response, before giving a soft chuckle. "Oh? And may I ask how I should react?"

I shrugged uncaringly. "Depends on how you feel? Are you happy? Sad? Angry? Anything is better than being indifferent."

"Mm…perhaps so?"

We fell into a comforting silence after that, reaching the Academy in a matter of moments.

"Well, this is the place."

"Seems kind of ordinary." The boy frowned, eyes calculating.

I looked at him in confusion. If he'd never been to the academy, how was he graduating?

That question was left for later as the boy ruffled the top of my head in a friendly gesture. I resisted biting off his hand.

"Thanks, Chibi-chan. I can take it from here, you can run along home."

Wait did he think –

I watched the strange boy disappear into the academy, and glared at his retreating back- I was not that little!

Taking a minute to compose myself with a determined look, I stepped into the building and my new life.

* * *

"The team selections will now commence. Team 1 will be Inuzuka Hana and Kiyohime." A nameless chuunin read off.

My brows knitted in confusion, searching for my teammate amongst the other children gathered in the classroom.

She wasn't hard to make out, with the three pups surrounding her by all sides. She was an average child with the markings of her clan displayed proudly on both her cheeks, with short brown hair and black eyes, wearing light-brown clothing with white fur coating the collar and a gray sash around her waist.

The chuunin continued. "Your sensei will be –"

Before he could finish there was a load crash as a figure barreled in through the window, a woman who grinned madly at us all after unraveling herself from the tarpaulin she'd wrapped herself in. "No time for celebrating brats, I'm your jounin-sensei Mitarashi Anko! I hope you're all ready for your next dose of hell!"

The chunin shot the woman an exasperated look as I was left feeling more dumbstruck than anything else.

* * *

 **Second edit by cordo12:** October/15/2018

 **A/N..**.Well looks like time got ahead of me. I have excuses, _but_ I doubt any of you want to hear them. All I can say is that I'm all clear and I'll be pushing out more and more chapters!

Thus as always, reviews, criticisms, suggestions?~


	13. Tales of Adventure and Misery

Here's another brand-new chapter! Enjoy!

As always beta'd by **CherryBerry12!** Oh and I can't forget to thank **cordo12** who was kind enough to go back and do some additional edits for some of my later chapters. So if you have the time go check those out!

* * *

"We can't waste time worrying about the what if's."

 _\- Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)_

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Tales of Adventure and Misery**

"So, how about we start with introductions? You know, your likes, dislikes, hobbies, your dreams for the future before they inevitably crash and burn." The last one came with an irritating smirk as the woman crossed her arms around a robust chest only covered by a green flak jacket.

Other than the flak jacket, there was less to respect as she seemingly could care less about modesty – If the pair of fishnet shorts were any indication.

But by this point I was beginning to believe that the world just had had a sick sense of humor, a running gag that would never get old. Because in my wildest dreams never would I have pictured Mitarashi Anko as my teacher.

From what I remembered Anko had never lead a genin team. Though this may have been overlooked due to her lack of screen time, it was hard to acknowledge that the sadistic kunoichi who got off on messing with children committing herself to teaching them.

After her outburst in the classroom and subsequent booting by the chunin instructor, my new teammate and I were literally dragged to the roof of the building kicking and screaming, all while an amused Anko cackled madly.

Which brought us to our current predicament. Where a snake was staring down two wet behind the ear genin with a maddening-grin.

"Umm…Anko-sensei?" Hana began, in a silent murmur that resembled a certain Hyuga I knew all too well.

"Whoa, whoa whoa – hold it there squirt." Anko said, "First off stop with all that honorific stuff. It's Anko or if you're still hungover about that respecting your elders crap then, preferably, Shishou or Anko-sama."

"I-I." Hana stumbled over her words, confused.

I let out a short breath of exasperation. "Shishou." I frowned. Drawing four pairs of eyes. Weirdly enough Anko stared at me as if Christmas had come early. "Not that I'm complaining, but shouldn't there be more of us?"

The Inuzuka couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Whereas a majority of teams were placed within groups of three, it wasn't an uncommon practice for a single jonin to play favorites and apprentice only one student. That said, two man teams were rarely if ever introduced, unless one member incidentally hit the bucket early.

"Ah! An excellent question my lovely little Princess!" Anko's lips curled up at my scowl. "As it so happens are little squad is getting a special edition."

Hana tilted her head. "What do you mean by – "

She was interrupted, cut short when a blur of leaves appeared seemingly out of nowhere and a figure seated itself between her and me, "Sorry I'm late." An apologetic voice said. "I lost track of time."

"No prob; you're right on time. We were just in the middle of getting to know each other." Anko's grin sharpened.

"I take it this is our special edition." I said dryly, removing a strain of leaf that got caught in my hair as I stared down the new arrival skeptically until recollection kicked in. "Hey!" I stood up. "You're that idiot who got lost this morning."

The boy looked up. The ash gray hair all too familiar. The eyes hidden behind spectacles glittering in the sunlight. "Oh? You're that little girl from this morning."

I glared harshly. "Don't. Call. Me. Little." I punctuated through gritted teeth.

I hated being called short. It was a pet peeve of mine that I was not letting go anytime soon.

At the boy's surprised look, Anko let out a bark of laughter. Clapping her hand at the wittiness in front of her. "Well this has been a treat and all, but I believe it's about time we got the ball rolling."

She pointed at the Inuzuka who jumped at the motion. "Alright _Pup_ we'll start with you. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, go. Come on! We ain't got all day.

"Uhh." The girl swallowed nervously as she tried to get a bearing on the situation while cradling the three pups next to her closer."Well, my name is Inuzuka Hana. I love my Ninkens and baby brother Kiba. I dislike those who hurt animals." I had the decency to look mildly ashamed. "My hobby is studying. And my dream for the future is to be a respected veterinary medical-nin."

"Neat! Who's next? How about you, four eyes? Got anything interesting to share? Mm."

If the boy was annoyed by the woman's comment he did an excellent job of hiding it, smiling along playfully.

"My name is Yakushi Kabuto."

I nearly choked.

"I like salty foods and medical ninjutsu. My hobbies include taking care of my scalpels. And my dream." He gave a sincere laugh, nervously rubbing his neck. "I don't really feel like telling you."

"Oh, mysterious." Anko waggled her eyebrows.

My eyebrows narrowed. While I was still reeling over the fact that this pubescent boy next to me would effectively be responsible for starting a world war and reanimating an army of the undead, one question still lingered – Why was he here in the first place?

From my knowledge Kabuto should have been in some far off country acting as an informant for the village. Not lurking around at the academy playing genin.

"Ok, you're up, Princess."

I took a deep breath, keeping my composure perfectly blank and emotions steady.

No reason to give this woman the satisfaction of seeing me irked.

"My name is Kiyohime." I say flippantly as I looked directly over at Hana and her pups. "I like smothering live animals and using their corpses to fertilize my plants." I turn ignoring the Inuzuka's increasingly distraught face. "I dislike fakes, liars, and those who call me little, especially those who call me little." I gave a dark smile. "My hobbies include making poisons from the plants of mutilated puppies and using said poisons. And my dreams for the future – " I pause in contemplation and shrug. "Live to see a better tomorrow."

 _Or something like that._

Anko grinned cheekily, clapping her hand together. "I guess that leaves me then. The names Mitarashi Anko or as most people call me, the super-sexy and fabulous Anko-sama. Things I like - porn, sweets, and sex," she said proudly, counting off each on her fingers. "Things I dislike, people who dislike the former three." She smirked seeing our young faces turn red. Hana's out of embarrassment, mine out of indignation, and Kabuto's probably out of puberty. "My hobbies include things that your parents rather not have me tell you about and as for my dreams for the future." She trailed off for a second until coming to a conclusion. "To get into the pants of a certain virgin dog."

Hana's pups whined.

Anko nodded, clearly pleased with herself. "Alright if that's all, I want you squirts to listen up! Tomorrow at 5 am sharp I want your butts at training ground 44 for some good old survival training."

Each of us stilled, not liking the look on her face when she said that. A _look_ of sadistic glee and something much darker.

"What's over at training ground 44?" Hana was the first to ask, although very reluctantly.

Anko smirked wickedly. "Why the one and only Forest of Death, of course."

* * *

"I'm home," I yawned out into the house as I entered the orphanage, my energy spent from this morning, having been dismissed earlier by Anko, who made a dash to get preparations done for the next morning.

I sighed, maybe I could trick Kanpu into preparing me some tea and perhaps some dinner too while as he was at.

I nodded mischievously; that's definitely what I would do.

After removing my sandals at the door, I noticed a pair that didn't seem to belong to anyone in the orphanage. Did we have a guest over? It wasn't the oddest thing. Some adults did come from some time to time to see if they could adopt some of the children, but most of the kids were at the academy at this hour and rarely would the caretakers schedule an appointment at this time.

Whipping into the kitchen, I was expecting to see Kanpu at the stove, setting preparations for tonight's dinner; yet to my complete surprise there was someone else here as well. A large man sitting down at the table with the caretaker, calmly sipping tea.

I blinked. Who was this?

"Welcome back, Hime. Your home early." Kanpu said sincerely, getting up to pour me a cup of the hot beverage.

I gave a weak wave in reply, but otherwise kept my solely eye on the…guest.

"What's going on?" I asked when the older man didn't seem to think it necessary to address the stranger casually drinking tea.

Kanpu smiled. "Hime, this is - "

The stranger stood up, striding over to me with massive feet and extended a hand.

I did a double-take.

"Morino." The man grumbled, voice low. "Morino Ibiki."

I stared at the appendage for a few more seconds longer, before nervously gripping it. "Kiyohime." I ended up uttering.

He grunted again "Have a seat."

I did so, more so because my legs were beginning to feel like jelly. Who wouldn't be a bit on edge when you had a man who tortured people for a living sitting in your house sipping tea?

At least Kanpu was kind enough to set the warm liquid in front of me as I tossed him a grateful smile in return and started downing the hot drink like there was tomorrow.

"You must love tea?" The torturer commented when I was finished, his expression entirely devoid of any humor.

"W-Well." I gulped, setting the glass down and breaking eye contact in favor of Kanpu who sat there, tea in hand, toning out our conversation. "It gets me through the day."

He grunted and a part of me was wondering if he did that alot.

"So." I drummed my fingers on the wooden table. "Why are you here."

 _Please don't don't say brain probe!_

 _Please don't don't say brain probe!_

 _Please don't don't say brain probe!_

 _Please don't don't say -_

"I'm here to train you."

NO! wait...what?

I licked my dry lips. "T-Train me?"

Ibiki sighed. "Didn't that idiot tell you?" I stared back blankly, causing the man to pinch his nose. "Unbelievable, of course he didn't. Regardless, I'm supposed to instruct you on the art of Kenjutsu." He said simply.

My eyes widened, caught off-guard. He was my teacher?

While it was true that Hayate had said he would fetch me a teacher while he was away on a mission, I honestly thought he was lying. Especially as the weeks dragged on and I became more convinced that he was just blowing a lot of hot air and was well prepared to give him an earful when he got back.

"You don't look much like a teacher." I ended up saying rather bluntly, cursing myself as I saw the man's eye twitch momentarily until he settled for a neutral expression.

"And you don't seem much like a ninja. So I guess we were both left feeling disappointmented."

I flinched, body sagging. That exactly kinda stung. Hurtful much.

Ibiki rose from his seat, his large form towering over me, "Whatever the case, you are now my student and as your teacher it will be my responsibility to instill both skill and discipline into you." His eyes gleamed menacingly. "Is that understood."

I paled. "Y-yes sir!"

He grunted again. "I will be back here tomorrow at the same time. Bring your training sword."

"Tomorrow." I whispered; until remembering what tomorrow instilled. I couldn't deal with two nut cases in one day. "Hold on! Tomorrow might not be - "

It was then I felt it. My body go numb as small traces of killing-intent ate away, causing me to falter and wither under unspeakable dread.

" **T** o **mor** ro **w**." Ibiki glared. " **Un** d **e** r **st** o **o** d."

I could only manage a nod. "H-Hai."

* * *

 _Early the next morning_

* * *

"You look terrible." Kabuto said, having the nerve to look worried on my behalf.

I wanted to bite out a retort but settled for a sneer. It was easier and didn't require nearly the amount of effort.

"Didn't you get any sleep?" The future mass murderer continued to lecture me on health.

I groaned as I sat down on the cool mildewy grass, back pressed against the bark of a tree. Completely tuckered out. Having spent the majority of last night dreaming of being tortured by Ibiki and chased with fire by Anko.

I glanced up, it was still dark out. why wouldn't it be? It was nearing close to five. Not even the morning vendors had risen yet to set up shop for the day. Yet here we were skulking outside in the dark like some marauding ghouls. It was stupid.

"Why do you think Anko Shishou ask us to meet her so early?" Hana asked worriedly, hugging her pups closer. "My mom wasn't too happy about me leaving at this time."

Kabuto shrugged. "She probably wanted us to get a head start on training."

Bullshit. I thought, fighting to keep my eyes open. That witch just wanted to raise the angst and what better than a forest of things that could kill us in pitch black darkness.

"While we're at it, it might be best if we form a strategy with the time given and work off the others' strength and weaknesses from there." Kabuto commented.

Hana nodded and I tried my best to drown the two of them out.

Apparently at seeing my lack of interest, Kabuto threw me a disappointed look. "Kiyohime-chan, I know that you're not feeling well, but if we aim to succeed in this endeavor we will need to cooperate."

I closed my eyes, snuggling closer to the tree. "You two do that, I'll be focusing on catching some shut eye."

Kabuto let out an exhausted breath, Hana strangely enough was glaring openly at me. "What's your problem!"

There it was.

I was wondering when the Inuzuka would bare her fangs. Guess she wasn't as hotheaded as her brother. I suspected as such when I admitted to openly liking playing doctor with animal parts and she didn't bite off my head outright.

I peeked an eye open and smiled kindly. "Whatever do you mean Dog-chan?"

Kabuto was quick to step in and play mediator, placating the boiling tension.

"That wasn't very nice Kiyohime-chan." Kabuto frowned.

I shrugged, calmly surveying the area.

"Don't you find it odd?" I sat up, patting away stray blades of grass sticking to my clothes. "We're dragged here in the dark, near a forest literally synonymous with death." I nudge my head to the pitch black wilderness, "In a location mind you, not of our own choosing."

Kabuto nodded slowly - of course he'd be clever enough to figure it out. "You're right, it's almost as if Mitarashi-sensei wishes to use the environment against us and since we can't rely on are eyes then we'll have to use are other senses. Like sound and smell."

I agreed, but there was still something else bothering me. I glanced over at my female teammate.

Why leave the Inuzuka? It didn't make sense to leave a clan who specialized with smell within at are disposal to use?

 _Unless?_

"What are you guys - !" Was all Hana managed to get out before a large serpent emerged from the forest lunged at the girl, swallowing both her and her dogs in one messy gulp.

I gasped, watching the snake slither back into the darkness from whence it came.

"Inuzuka!" Kabuto shouted.

"There goes our tracker." I said lamely, reprimanding myself for not being more aware of my surroundings.

"Kiyohime-chan, we have to save her!" Kabuto pulled at my arm and I couldn't help, but agree. This was probably part of Anko's twisted strategy. A search and rescue with the grand-prize of being eaten by one of her pet snakes.

"Yeah, Yeah, will you stop tugging at my - " I froze. It took me all, but five seconds to notice the light glimmer protruding from the woods, 3 seconds to identify the projectile heading right towards us, and a second to yell out a warning as a paper bomb tied to a kunai exploded at are feet in a blinding flash of white.

* * *

OMAKE #3

 _A Puella Magica Madoka-Naruto: Cross Over Event_

 _Magical Girls are born to Suffer._

* * *

 _"My name is Kyubey and if you make a contract with me, I'll make your wildest dream into reality."_ The cat? Rabbit? Rodent-thing cheered.

I stared at it dryly. "I see…Ino-chan where exactly did you say you found this thing again?" I asked the blond-haired girl who looked absolutely giddy holding the creature in her arms.

"It found me." She smiled, holding the _fuzzball_ to the air. "It said if I made contract with it and dedicate my life to fighting these things called Witches as a Magical-girl that I could get one free wish!" She looked absolutely elated.

"You sure that's a good idea?" I said skeptically. The creature's red orbs seemed as if they were peering into my soul. "It sounds too good to be true."

Ino waved off my warning. "Pft as if, what could possibly go wrong?"

I sighed, well I couldn't say I didn't warn her.

"Arigato everyone." Hinata greeted us. "What are you guys doing?"

"Warning Ino against making contracts with something that is clearly the devil is disguise." I deadpanned and was shoved out of the way by said blond who ran up to the Hyuga.

"Hey Hinata-chan! Want to become a magical girl with me? You'll get a free wish!"

 _"Hi! My name is Kyubey! Wanna make a contract with me? I'll make your wildest dream into reality."_ The creature called Kyubey glowered at its unsuspecting new prey.

"A-Any wish!" Hinata gushed holding her cheeks. "R-Really."

"It's trying to trick you." I said slowly. "Don't listen to it-" I felt a fist embed itself into my gut, courtesy of Ino as I collapsed to floor.

"I-I want to be a Magical Girl!" Hinata confessed.

"Me too!" Ino agreed!

 _"Then sign a contract with me."_ Kyubey beamed. _"And become Magical Girls!"_

"Why do I even bother?" I groaned on the floor.

 _ **Two Hours Later…**_

"Run! Run for your lives! Run for your – Grrk!"

"What are those things?" What the hell is going on!"

"Where is Hokage-sama?"

"Dead! T-Those monsters killed him and the entire council!"

"What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?"

I sighed, watching from the heads of the Hokage carving as Konoha was set ablaze. The smell of burning flesh was ripe and panicked voices ran undisturbed throughout the once thriving village.

"Did you know that this would happen?" I said softly. Watching who I could only presume was Kakashi and a group of ANBU make a heroic stand against a group of familiar shaped cupcakes, only to be torn to shreds and devoured. The Copy-Cat ninja lasting the longest, sharingan spinning, but eventually he too was overwhelmed.

First they went for his legs, then this arms, last to go was the head and I was quick to steer my head away from the gruesome carnage that followed.

At least he didn't go out screaming too much.

The demonic plush toy titled its head. _"On this planet you call females who have yet to become adults girls. It makes sense then that you'll eventually become witches, you should be called magical girls."_

"Ah." I murmured watching a giant faceless doll and a giant deformed pig rampage through what had once called home.

 _"You know you can stop this"_ Kyubey said after a while, _"All this destruction. All this death. All this tragedy. You can change it!"_

I turned to face him.

 _"Just sign a contract with me and become a magical – "_ I threw a kunai in between its eyes and watched with some satisfaction as the life drained from its pupils.

"No thanks." I said simply standing up as I contemplated my next course of action now that the land of fire was about to become a literal hell on earth. "Mm, I wonder if Suna's nice this time of year." I muttered, walking away and never looking back at the smoldering ash that had once been the proud Village Hidden in the Leaves.

 _"So emotional."_

Another Kyubey appeared from the shadows, certainly no worse for wear as he hastily ate up what had been one of its many bodies.

 _"Well, I guess I should go off find other girls."_ The creature said, looking on as a man in green spandex raced toward the witches at blinding speed, skin red and a dragon looming over him.

 _"Humans really are strange creatures."_ The Cat-Rat-Rabbit affirmed as it pranced away to lure other unsuspecting girls into signing away their souls.

* * *

Would you like to be a Magical Girl?

I welcome reviews, criticisms, and suggestions?~


	14. Tales of Adventure and Misery II

...Late again huh? Well at least I know what my new years resolution will be. Sorry about the length of this one, but I swear by the Ramen Gods themselves that the next one will be much, much longer.

Again thanks to my trusty beta's **CherryBerry12! and cordo12**

* * *

"Sometimes it's necessary to do unnecessary things."

 _\- Kanade Jinguuji (Best Student Council)_

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Tales of Adventure and Misery II**

She smiled, observing her handy work with a tinge of satisfaction and glee. Don't get her wrong, she didn't get off messing with people or skinning cats in her spare time. No, no. Her preferences were far more unique and only someone with her... _particular_... tastes could appreciate them to the fullest. Or at the very least that's what she told herself. Even if her methods tended to get a bit... _extreme._

"Mmmmph!"

 _Very extreme._

"Yeah, Yeah, I heard you the first time. Sheesh, keep your voice down will ya."

Anko watched dully as the Inuzuka continued to struggle, mouth gagged and eyes red with streaks of ugly tears swimming down her cheeks. Next to her sat her pups, sedated and asleep, no thanks in part to one or two miracle herbs that she had picked up that could put down a fully grown man.

Casually she sauntered over towards her, brandishing a kunai, causing the already terrified Inuzuka to reel away in fear.

Anko sighed, crouching down and in one decisive stroke, slit the gag and bindings holding the girl as she gave a patented eye-smile. "See? All better. So quit your sniffling."

Hana glared ferociously, her breathing ragged. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Care to elaborate?" Anko titled her head. "Because honey, there are plenty of things wrong with what you just said."

"Why did you kidnap me, tie me up, and drug my dogs?!" She screeched.

"Ahh," Anko said, scratching her head sheepishly. "Well when you put it like that it makes it sound like I'm the villain in a bad cartoon." Hana wasn't amused. In fact she was angry, really angry. Not only was her teacher crazy and a potential menace to society, but she had allowed herself to be captured by this, this -

"You must think I'm a total bitch huh?" Anko grinned, watching Hana's eyes harden. "I don't mind, this tends to happen when I try to get intimate with people."

"Why are you doing this?!" Hana growled, feeling her irritation build. "You're a teacher! You're supposed to be helping us! not serving us to your pets." The memory of being chewed up and spit out by a giant snake was still an uncomfortable and repulsive experience.

Anko clicked her tongue. "Well you're half right, but the truth of the matter is that I never wanted any of this."

"What?!" Now Hana was even more confused, "T-Then why are you…"

"Because our glorious Hokage thought it would be a phenomenal idea to put you precious cinnamon rolls in my basket. No offense to the old man, but giving me kids was perhaps the stupidest move he's ever made."

"So what are you going to do? Fail us?" Hana sneered and again was surprised as Anko merely barked out a laugh.

"Nah, too easy. You see if I went back to the Sandaime and reported that you rug rats happened to catch a sudden case of crippling injuries I'd be scrounging up D ranks for at least a good month." She shook her head. "But if you were to say, fail the genin test I'd so skillfully designed then you guys have no one else but yourselves to blame."

"…Then I'm merely bait for the others." Hana said slowly, the words sounding distant even to herself as she realized her helplessness.

Anko shrugged without the slightest shred of sympathy. "I prefer unwilling participant, but yeah that's about the gist of it."

Hana's eyes prickled, the weight of the kunoichi's words bearing down on her shoulders. "I can't believe this." To be so off-guard, to be utterly taken without a hint of resistance and made the damsel in distress. It was pathetic.

"Aw, don't feel too bad." Anko said nonchalantly, standing to her feet before flashing a devious smirk. "You won't be alone for too long."

* * *

One minute I was on the ground and the next I was flying through the air with an arm laced around my waist.

In the seconds it had taken me to find my voice, Kabuto had already moved, grabbing me like a ragdoll and pushing chakra to the soles of his feet, launching us both into the air as an explosion turned our previous position into a pile of ash. I'd be more impressed with the feat, if there weren't a dozen more from where that one came from, trying to blow us into edible bite sized pieces.

"Watch out!"

Kabuto grimaced, shifting his weight to prevent any harm from coming to me while simultaneously running his hands through an array of seals.

 **"Water Release: Water Bomb Jutsu."**

He parted his lips and a sea of water spewed out into the world. Drowning the kunai, the trees, the ground. Hell, the whole forest was a water park when it was all said and done.

Clumsily Kabuto landed on the nearest branch and collapsed, his breathing forced and body over exerted from the strenuous use of chakra.

"A-Are you okay?" He said to me, sweat drenching down his face as he leaned against the tree.

I shot him an incredulous look. "I should be asking you that. You big IDIOT! why'd you use all your chakra on something so stupid!" I berated, because as it was now, I couldn't carry him if he ended up passing out and despite wanting to leave him there was a little voice in my head that reminded me that the only reason he was like this was because I couldn't dodge a kunai."

He laughed halfheartedly. "I suppose it was foolish on my part, even so." He gave me a friendly smile. "What type of teammate would I be if I left a comrade behind?"

I…no this wasn't right. I don't remember Kabuto ever acting, well like this. Unless it was all an act, a very clever one, but why would he go so far if he was only pretending?

Questions and more questions, but they could wait. Right now I needed to find a way out of this.

"Can you move or stand?" I said, suddenly feeling more tired than I had earlier. At his grimace I realized that this was going to be harder than I thought. Around us was a world of pitch black, inside a forest synonymous with well…death. "What now." I found myself saying.

He shrugged. "Haven't the faintest clue?"

"Uh huh." I handed him the driest stare I could muster.

Kabuto laughed, nervously passing a hand through his hair. "What I mean is –"

I held up a hand to stop him. "I get it, we're basically sitting ducks and without the Mutt…" I trailed off, staring out into vast wilderness. Without Hana's sense of smell to guide us, we were toast.

"Sorry."

I shook my head. "Don't be…you've done enough."

Kabuto's eyes lit up as he laughed again. "Well I'm glad I got the chance to see this side of you Hime."

I blinked. "What are you talking about? What side?"

He shook his head, "Mm, it's nothing I suppose, at least for now."

My brows wrinkled at his words. _Am I missing something?_

"Well hello darlings, coincidence seeing you here." said a jovial voice above us. "Then again, did you think you two could ever truly escape me?"

I swore and turned around, and Kabuto tensed.

Mitarashi Anko looked down at us like the snake who had cornered her prey and was savoring the euphoria.

"Ah, I can assume this is part of our trial." Kabuto said cordially forcing himself up, "It only makes sense for you to test our resolve if we wish to become genin." I had to give the boy credit, in the face of adversity he knew when to keep his composure and not freak out and run away.

"If that's what you want to believe who am I to stop you." She said sweetly. "But before we begin, tell me something, four-eyes." Anko asked, conversationally. "How do you plan to beat me when you're on your last leg mmm? Were you perhaps hoping to rely on the princess over there to do the heavy lifting? Ha, from the way I see it she'd sooner sell you out then watch your ass."

I flinched at the accusation. It wasn't entirely wrong.

Kabuto shrugged before smiling knowingly as he placed a hand on my head.

"Maa, sensei's first day on the job and you're already forgetting the one important self-rule every teacher should know."

Anko raised a brow, amused. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"Never underestimate the capacity of a student."

* * *

 _Never underestimate the capacity of a student?_

She snorted.

Please, don't make her laugh. If believing in a student was all it took for them to surpass her expectations then it would have been her old mentor who'd have become the Yondaime rather than an S-class missing-nin wanted dead or alive. The fact of the matter was that you could only put your hopes in someone for so long until they inevitably disappointed you or worse, betrayed you. The Sandaime realized this, as did his students: the Slug and Toad sage. Life was filled with disillusions and it only took one bad day for you to have an awful reality check.

"You want to test that little theory of yours?" She mused, before grinning. "Ah, I know. If you can land a scratch on me in the next five minutes I'll concede defeat." She parted her legs and got into a fighting stance. _That is, if you can survive for that long."_

The boy nodded, not truly comprehending what he was in for. But that's what teachers were for right? She'd make them learn, nice and slow.

Of course being the fair sport that she was, she gave them ample opportunity to convey a useless plan to use against her. The boy whispering secrets into the ears of the girls whose eyes widened in worry or maybe fear. Whatever the case, she was confident in her abilities to bury mere academy students in the dirt.

"Shall we begin?"

At their defiance she couldn't help the smirk that came to her face. _Heh, kids today, bah._

"Ok, get ready brats. On your mark, get set – "

She _blurred._

A fist smashed into the boy's side before he had time to react, puncturing a rib or two, while she simultaneously wedged her chakra infused foot into the girl's sternum as she was sent soaring.

"Here I come." She said candidly.

Making her way over to the downtrodden Kabuto, she wasn't all too surprised when he suddenly burst into a puff of smoke, revealing a wooden log in his place. Cranking her neck a little towards the left, Anko effortlessly side stepped an attack from behind her as a fist came into her peripheral vision.

"Here, let me give you a hand." Anko said all too cheerfully, grabbing Kabuto by the scruff of his sleeves, and tossing him over her shoulder, before pressing a foot roughly on his chest. "Any more tricks?"

Kabuto smiled. "You'll find that I'm full of all sorts of surprises."

Again a puff of smoke, another log, and Kabuto was standing across from her.

"Rude much. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to lead a lady on?" Anko pouted.

Kabuto shrugged both shoulders. "I'm an orphan, forgive me if my manners are a tad l _acking."_

"Don't sweat it." Anko said with a bit of mirth on her features. "If you bleed for me, we'll call it even."

"As interesting as that offer is, I have a better idea. Mind entertaining me?" Kabuto asked dubiously.

"Sorry kiddo, maybe when you're older."

"I didn't mean like that!" Kabuto gawked, his cheeks flushing red as he coughed into his hand, gathering his bearings. "I happened to have done my own investigation into you, Mitarashi-san."

"Oh, have you now?"

"Know thy enemy, and I've learned a good deal of you." Kabuto said, unusually calm. "I could go into detail of your riveting past with a certain traitorous snake."

Anko grit her teeth.

"But I won't, I can see now where your apathy for teaching comes from. I'd admit that even I was surprised to discover that my sensei was under the tutelage of one of the Three Great Sanin of the Leaf.

"What's your point?" Anko said with growing impatience.

"My point is that you shouldn't overestimate a book by it's a cover." Kabuto sighed, reaching into his pouch and pulling out a shuriken. "This test is a bore and I don't want any part of it. This should more than suffice to finish you."

 _A shuriken._

 _A shuriken._

He thought a _shuriken_ could beat her. She cackled like a mad woman.

"You've got to be kidding me." She mocked. "You're crazy if you think something like this will be enough to beat me."

"I never joke." Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses. "The minute I throw this, our victory will be all but secured."

There was absolute confidence in his words.

Anko lips thinned, "Then throw it." _And watch as I pummel you into the ground._

He didn't respond, With a flick of a hand Kabuto aimed true. The shuriken shot forward at the Special Jounin, only for the girl to scoff and nudge her head to dodge.

"What did I tell-!"

The shuriken changed in a puff of smoke, in its place was the girl, Kiyohime, lunging at her, kunai in hand and a cold stare.

She leaned backwards, narrowly escaping having her eye seared off and leaping away to put as much distance between her and them.

 _Damn._

She cursed, watching the two regroup.

 _Damn._

She took a deep breath, until she felt a wetness on her cheek. Placing a hand on the spot she was greeted to the sight of blood, her blood.

 _Damn it all._

Turning to the boy and girl, an enraged scowl made it to her face.

Kabuto smiled loftily. "Does that mean we win, _sensei?"_

* * *

I bow before your reviews, criticisms, and suggestions?~


	15. Tales of Adventure and Misery III

**Sorry for the wait, but you know how it usually goes, life just doesn't like you to do the things you love to do. This one's a little short, but hopefully it suffices while I get my writing mojo back.**

* * *

"Everyone here is the same. They don't notice anything. They don't say anything. And they don't think anything. They are merely a shell of their former selves and soon they will disappear like the melting snow. This epidemic leads innocent people to their deaths, and yet, its pathogen will never be eradicated. This is a disease called serenity – a form of death that people have wished for."

– _Oryou Rikako (Psycho Pass)_

* * *

 **Tales of Adventure and Misery III**

Anko has been called many, many things - a sadist, a maniac, and a pervert just barely scratched the surface of her more exclusive quirks. But one thing she most diffidently not was damaged.

I mean so what if her former teacher she had loved and adored like a father discarded her like yesterday's trash. It didn't bother her. Not by a long shot. What did it matter if he left her with a tarnished reputation as the student of a 'traitor' and the hate that came with it? She had moved passed it and worked to build a reputation from the mud all while flipping off her protractors who proclaimed her the spawn of a disgraced Sannin.

Everything. Was. Fine.

So why did that old fart of a Hokage think that giving her of all people – children to teach and protect was a stroke of brilliance. If anything it was foolish, irresponsible, unbecoming of a leader. The feeling of having to look out for anyone beside her own wellbeing burned at her, weighed at her consciousness and feelings that she had long believed dormant slowly trickled to the surface.

Of course she relayed her thoughts to their village leader, using tame words and logical points that would have put a politician to shame.

She refused to be a teacher, end of story. Of course Sarutobi Hiruzen pleasantly denied her request using his own honeyed words and iron clad reasoning that fit a man of his stature going so far as to further emphasize the point that the students in question were those that would fit her particular preference.

She scoffed at the idea. The very thought that these were nothing more than the run of the mill genin was laughable, weak and an utter waste of both her time and there's.

Even so the Hokage persisted and in the end she forced herself to observe the brats.

The first on her stop was an Inuzuka – a family of shinobi known for their use of ninken as fighting companions, easily identified by the distinct markings of their cheeks. Interesting enough the Inzuka girl was the next head of the clan. Feisty, bold, if not a little hot headed. Begrudgingly Anko would admit that she was her kind of girl.

Her next trip took her to an apartment belonging to a civilian. She snuck in silently as he was out, scanning the décor and spotless home with a raised brow. This one was said to be a prodigy, preferring brains over brawns, but lacked motivation to go anywhere. Pft, she couldn't help, but draw a comparison to a Nara. The family itself being known as continuous sloths when it came to anything, but cloud watching despite their smarts.

The final one she didn't need to look twice to know why the Hokage had chosen this one for her. The appearance was almost uncanny, so disturbingly similar that it slightly unnerved her that no one had drawn the comparison.

She spent the day watching the girl, longer then she should have. But curiosity ate away at her better judgment and she stealthily observed the child from afar, trying to see if there was any semblance of similarity between her and that _man._

But although they shared the same appearance their personalities remarkably differed. Whereas her former mentor was aloof and indifferent to all things that didn't catch his fancy, the girl was the polar opposite – brazen, hotheaded, and quick to fluster. It nagged at her, surely this girl couldn't possibly be related to him. In the end it took all she had and more to pull always from tailing the girl further before rushing back to the office of the Hokage and kicking the door off its hinges.

The bastard smiled a grandfatherly smile. "Well..." He asked knowingly.

Anko felt her lips coil into an unpleasant sneer.

"I'll take them." She spat.

The Hokage in response nodded pleasantly.

"I thought you'd might reconsider."

Her brow twitched and in the darkest reaches of her mind she wondered, maybe, just maybe, there was a valid reason as to why her wayward teacher abandoned her the way he did.

And seeing the satisfied look on Sarutobi Hiruzen's face just made those voices all that louder.

* * *

Present

* * *

Anko smiled, a crooked, unsoundly sort of smile that was beautiful for all the wrong reasons I felt my breathing halt, the sharp pain in my chest inconsequential compared to the serine look the woman in front of me was giving off, which was made more eerie by the small speckle of blood that slowly leaked from the wound I had inflicted.

"Does that mean we win, sensei?" Kabuto asked after a long stretch of silence.

The boy was either stupid or just plain fearless, I was starting to lean on the former as he stood on in indifference to this sudden change in are normally sadistic teacher or was just perfectly content to ignore it as he smiled on.

Anko was quiet and for a moment I could swear we'd find ourselves being held down and devoured as savory morsels to one of her pet serpents. But that didn't happen, surprisingly, instead the kunoichi grinned at us. It was an expression that made my blood run cold and yet at the same time made me breathe a sigh of relief now that I knew I wouldn't be on the menu.

"Not bad – not bad at all. I'm impressed that you were able to pull that off." She commended, evaluating us with a steady gaze. "I hadn't expected you to be so forward."

Kabuto shrugged. "Pride before the fall." The boy chided, adjusting his glasses. "Arrogance can be a shinobi's greatest _folly._ "

It was an insult as much as it was sound advice. Anko seemed to be aware of this and took it in stride as she licked away the small streak of blood that graced her cheeks with her tongue in pure ecstasy.

I shuddered.

"My, so knowledgeable for someone so _young_." Anko hummed with a glint in her eye and from the look on her face I had the sinking suspicion I knew where this going and made to head her off before it came to that point."

"So do we pass or what?" I interrupted hurriedly, to tired and discontent for are situation to care anymore.

Anko chortled lightly and a feeling of dread hit me.

"I said I would concede defeat. I didn't say that your trial was over. After all, there are rules to be upheld. Lessons to be learned." She smiled sweetly. "What kind of teacher would I be if didn't impart some wisdom."

I backed away, and for the first time Kabuto looked uncertain.

"What do you mean by –! "

 **"Well."**

The voice hissed, a raspy chuckle ragged with malicious delight,

 **"Well."**

Its body emerged from the surrounding shadows, its leathery scaled form towering over the gargantuan trees of the forest of death

 **"Well."**

The serpent smiled, duel ivory fangs glistening in the darkness with slit eyes that held an intelligence that no animal should possess.

 **"What do we have here? More savory morsels for me to consume."** It beckoned closer, its elongated maw just inches from us. **"I do believe that they are a bit small. But it matters not, I shall simply have make do."**

I flinched, while Kabuto fought to keep his face impassive.

 **"Cool your heels Tsuchinoko they aren't for snacking."** Anko gave us a teasing smirk. **"At least not yet."**

I shot her an alarmed look. She ignored it and continued to bicker with the man-eating snack like they were old friends with the serpent threatening to one day decorate the walls of his domain with Anko's skull if she ever summoned him again for something so trifling, while the women in turn complemented the snake's skin, while commenting that it fashion a wonderful belt.

The snake reared its ugly head back toward us, its boneless form coiling together.

 **"Humans. Children. Inexperience and weak, the lot of you."**

It moved to Kabuto, the boy blinking up towards the monstrosity, curiosity overtaking his evaluation of this new threat.

 **"Ah, this one I like. So bold, so confident, preferring brains over brawns. Yet when have those truly mattered have on the fields of combat?"**

Kabuto frowned. Tsuchinoko ignored it and moved onto me were here regarded me with a clinical eye.

 **"And you. There is something familiar about you. Your stench reminds me of an old adversary, a foe who left me for dead within the jaws of his accursed pets. Tell me, whats your name girl."**

It was not a request, it was an order and I complied fully."

"Kiyohime." I said hurriedly.

The serpent's eyes narrowed. **"I do not recognize it, but that is irrelevant. You bare that man's mark, his scent clings to you, like an incisive stench. So by exacting my vengeance my honor will be restored.**

I winced, confusion no doubt etched on my face as I had no idea what this beast was even saying.

Kabuto stepped in front of me protectively. "Is there a point to all this?"

Anko grinned half-heartily at the question and gestured to the dark forest behind her.

"Right over there, is your final challenge."

I blinked in confusion as Kabuto regarded are teacher calculatingly.

"You want as to save Inuzuka." He said with finality. "For a genin team to succeed all three must pass, no exceptions, no half success, that has been Konoha's founding principle since it's conception."

And that was the crutch of the problem wasn't it? For a genin team to advance all members have to advance, the defining rule of a village that marketed itself as one big happy family. In other words even if we had passed Anko's little test, without Hana it was all but pointless."

"You want us to save her?" I said.

"Yes."

"And if we don't?" Kabuto questioned.

Anko shrugged and turned to the hungry glint of the serpent that hung above us.

The answer while obvious was left unanswered.

 **"Now little broods."** Tsuchinoko cooed. **"Run."**

* * *

 **Again guys sorry it's taken me so long to get back. Life is a real troll and I was in a pretty bad place for a while until I got things together. But don't worry I do intend on finishing this story. And for a bonus I have another story coming out soon. Hope you guys like titty dragons because apparently getting your nutsoff is senzu beans level of bullshit in this one -DXD**


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